wallet n : a pocket-size case for holding papers and paper money [syn: billfold, notecase, pocketbook]

English

Pronunciation

• Rhymes: -ɒlɪt

Noun

1. A flat case, often made of leather, for keeping money (especially paper money), credit cards, etc.

Synonyms

• billfold
• pocketbook

Translations

See also

• purse

A wallet, or billfold, is a small, flat case used to carry personal items such as cash, credit cards and identification documents, such as a driver's license. Wallets are generally made of leather or fabrics, and they are usually pocket-sized.

History

The word "wallet" has been in use since the first century A.D. to refer to a bag or a knapsack for carrying articles. The word may derive from Proto-Germanic. The ancient Greek word kibisis, used to describe the sack carried by the god Hermes and the sack in which the mythical hero Perseus carried the decapitated head of the monster Medusa, has been typically translated as "wallet". Usage of the term "wallet" in its modern meaning of "billfold" in American English dates to 1834.) are wallets in which the bills are not folded. They are intended for men's breast pocket in a jacket, or for a handbag. They are too large for storage in a pant pocket.

• Bi-fold wallet: a type of wallet in which the bills are folded over once. This has become the "standard" wallet. Credit cards and identication cards may be stored horizontally or vertically.
• Tri-fold wallet: a wallet with three folds, in which credit cards are generally stored vertically.
• Front pocket wallet (or money clip): a case with no currency compartment and very few pockets for cards. Usually bills are folded and held to the wallet with a metal clip.

Some wallets, particularly in Europe (where larger denominated coins are more prevalent) contain a coin purse compartment. Some wallets have built-in clasps or bands to keep them closed. As European bills (pounds, euros) are larger than American bills in one dimension, they don't fit in some smaller American wallets.

Features

A wallet generally has one or more currency pockets; in some cases, there may also be a money clip. Wallets usually have one or more pockets for storing credit card or identification cards, which may be oriented vertically or horizontally.

Wallets may also have an identification pocket, which facilitates the display of a regularly-used piece of identification such as workplace ID or a bus pass, by housing it within a transparent "window". A wallet may also have photo pockets, which are designed to hold a collection of small personal photographs. A wallet may also have a small pouch for coins or keys.

Some wallets are attached to metal chains which are then clipped onto a belt, as a way of preventing loss or theft by pickpockets. Some travellers replace wallets with money belts, which are belts with a hidden money compartment.

Designers

Most major designers including Gucci, Louis Vuitton and Armani offer seasonal and perennial wallet collections of black and brown leather wallets. In the UK, wallets are made by Mulberry, Radley, Paul Smith, Ted Baker, Billabong and Aspinal of London. In the US, designers include Guess, Burberry, Perry Ellis, Kenneth Cole and Fossil. Major retailers usually sell a wide selection of men's wallets . Major retailers (such as the UK's John Lewis Partnership or Neiman Marcus in USA) usually offer branded wallets and house-name wallets. Specialist designers include Ben & Dafna, who create wallets made from duct tape in Camden Market; J Fold, that offer a large range of colourful leather wallets; and Stewart-Stand, a New York design house that designs wallets made from woven stainless steel.

See also

• Money clip
• CD Wallet
• Digital wallet

References

^ a b Online Etymology Dictionary entry for "wallet". Retrieved on 2007-09-06. ^ CTCWeb Glossary: K. Retrieved on 2007-09-06. ^ Appolodorus Library and Epitome (ed. Sir James George Frazer). Retrieved on 2007-09-06.