wallet

Everyday

1. A wallet is a small flat case, usually folded, for keeping money, cards and tickets. tree →
2. A digital wallet is an app on a phone that holds bank cards to pay with. tree →
3. A wallet can also be an old word for a bag, often of cloth or leather, that a traveller carries food in. tree →

In the lessons

In school maths: where money is kept; amounts in a wallet go up or down — taking money out subtracts, putting money in adds; how much is left. In everyday life: Dad's wallet, a lost wallet handed in, a wallet in a pocket or bag. In stories: finding a wallet and returning it is the honest thing to do. Phrases: «in his wallet», «lost my wallet», «wallet-friendly» (cheap).

Examples

• He has 30 dollars in his wallet. tree →
• She took 12 dollars out of her wallet. tree →
• A wallet costs 15 dollars. tree →
• How much is left in his wallet? tree →
• Mum keeps her bus pass in her wallet. tree →
• Sam found a wallet on the bus and gave it to the driver. tree →
• My wallet has a zip for coins. tree →
• He paid with the wallet app on his phone. tree →
• Here he sat down to rest, and pulling out his wallet prepared to eat his dinner. tree →

Note

Countable: «a wallet». A purse is often for coins or (in the USA) a woman's handbag; a wallet is flat and for notes and cards. Maths: a holder of money; taking money out subtracts, putting in adds; left = start − spent. Honesty: a found wallet belongs to someone — give it to a grown-up or the police.