backpack

1 of 2

noun

back·​pack ˈbak-ˌpak 

plural backpacks

1

a

: a pack (see pack entry 1 sense 1a) that usually has two shoulder straps and is carried on the back: such as

(1)

: a large pack (as of canvas or nylon) that is supported by an external or internal frame (as of aluminum) and is used especially for carrying supplies when hiking and camping

The logistics of the trip required that I carry all my stuff in a backpack. Since I didn't want to lug too heavy a load on the hiking leg of the trip, I pared way down.

—Daisann McLane

(2)

: a bag or small pack (as of canvas, polyester, or nylon) used for carrying personal belongings or supplies : knapsack

I rode my bicycle to the market and rode home with my backpack full of exotic lettuces and basil-garlic baguettes.

—Meredith Maran

Each morning, tens of thousands of moms load phones, along with homework, into the backpacks of schoolchildren.

—Michael Specter

b

: a load carried on the back

2

: a piece of equipment designed for use while being carried on the back

By wearing a jet-propelled "space backpack," astronauts will be able to move freely in space, making it possible to build, repair, and maintain craft in orbit …

—Business Week

I'm soaring above the central Sahara in a powered paraglider, a single-seat aircraft that looks like a flying lawn chair. Developed in France, it combines an inflated, parachute-like wing with a 50-pound motorized backpack.

—George Steinmetz

backpack

2 of 2

verb

backpacked; backpacking; backpacks

transitive verb

: to carry (food or equipment) on the back especially in hiking

intransitive verb

: to hike with a backpack

backpacker noun

Synonyms

Noun

• kit bag
• knapsack
• pack
• packsack
• rucksack

Examples of backpack in a Sentence

Noun

stuffed her backpack with so many books that she could barely walk

Verb

After college, she backpacked through Europe.

We're planning to go backpacking in a national park this summer.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Almost a year-and-a-half later, in September 2024, a fisherman found some of her belongings including her backpack and a hiking shoe, the family wrote in a Saturday Facebook post. —Mandy Taheri, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 May 2025

In September of last year, Japanese authorities began searching in a different area after Wu-Murad’s backpack and a single shoe were discovered near a stream in Totsukawa village. —Muri Assunção, New York Daily News, 17 May 2025

Verb

These days, there’s no shortage of packable, lightweight sleeping pads to make sure no peas (or pebbles) ever disturb your slumber on your next backpacking trip. —Scott Gilbertson, Wired News, 11 May 2025

Morii Outdoors travels a bit farther back in coffee's life cycle, reusing the byproducts of roasting as a natural firestarter medium for camping, backpacking, outdoor survival and just good ol' backyard cookouts. —New Atlas, 26 Apr. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1897, in the meaning defined at sense 1b

Verb

1899, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Rhymes for backpack

• aback
• anzac
• attack
• backtrack
• bareback
• blackjack
• brownback
• buyback
• callback
• cognac
• comeback
• cutback

Kids Definition

backpack

1 of 2 noun

back·​pack ˈbak-ˌpak 

: a camping pack carried on the back

also : knapsack

backpack

2 of 2 verb

: to hike with a backpack

backpacker noun