A reticule, also known as a ridicule or indispensable, was a type of small handbag or purse, similar to a modern evening bag, used mainly from 1795 to 1820. [1]

When sheer empire-line dresses became the fashion, the pockets were removed from the hips and became the first hand-held bag, called a reticule. She would pester him until she got exactly what …

Share Kids Definition reticule noun ret· i· cule ˈret-i-ˌkyü (ə)l : a woman's drawstring bag

RETICULE definition: a small purse or bag, originally of network but later of silk, rayon, etc. See examples of reticule used in a sentence.

reticule, n. meanings, etymology, pronunciation and more in the Oxford English Dictionary

The first night I was here, Colonel Gregory stopped me on the road and went through my reticule.

Dec 17, 2025 · reticule (plural reticules) A reticle; a grid in the eyepiece of an instrument. [from 18th c.] quotations

Definition of reticule noun in Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary. Meaning, pronunciation, picture, example sentences, grammar, usage notes, synonyms and more.

reticule - An older term for a small handbag, it alludes to the fact that they were originally made of netted fabric—Latin rete, "net," became reticulum, "netted bag."

If you've ever peered through a telescope, you've seen a reticule, though you probably didn't know that's what you were looking at. It's the network of tiny lines that make up a sighting device's eyepiece.