Definition of burses:
(n) :
A fund or foundation for the maintenance of the needy scholars in their studies.
(n) :
(now chiefly historical) A purse.
(n) :
(ecclesiastical) An ornamental case to hold the corporal when not in use.
(n) :
(obsolete) A stock exchange; a bourse.
(n) :
(obsolete) A kind of bazaar.
(n) :
A surname from Old French.