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

Thankfully, torso lengths are listed with any reputable backpacking backpack. —Kevin Brouillard, Travel + Leisure, 17 Apr. 2024

The Verge claimed their device ran out of juice in five hours while sitting in their backpack and was not being used. —Kyle Barr, Quartz, 13 Apr. 2024

The male was wearing a gray hoodie and a tan backpack. —Elliot Hughes, Journal Sentinel, 12 Apr. 2024

Anderson was later seen on a bus wearing the same tan backpack. —Kate Linderman, Kansas City Star, 12 Apr. 2024

Later that day, on Nov. 30, 2021, their son pulled a handgun from his backpack and began shooting, killing Justin Shilling, Madisyn Baldwin, Tate Myre, Hana St. Juliana, and wounding seven other people. —Ed White, The Christian Science Monitor, 10 Apr. 2024

Ethan later pulled a firearm out of his backpack, fatally shooting four students and injuring seven others. —Audrey Conklin, Fox News, 9 Apr. 2024

Their backpacks contained hundreds of rounds of ammunition, to refill the preloaded magazines on their flak jackets. —Luke Mogelson, The New Yorker, 8 Apr. 2024

Unzipping the child’s backpack, law enforcement officers allegedly recovered about two kilograms of cocaine in plastic baggies, according to the Mobile County Sheriff's Office, which provided PEOPLE with crime scene photographs taken on narcotics investigators’ phones. —Emily Palmer, Peoplemag, 2 Apr. 2024

Verb

Thankfully, torso lengths are listed with any reputable backpacking backpack. —Kevin Brouillard, Travel + Leisure, 17 Apr. 2024

Helpful Tips for Planning Your Solar Eclipse Trip Being frugal has allowed Adams, based in England, to backpack through Chicago, Nashville, Austin, and Fort Worth during the four weeks leading up to the eclipse. —Solcyré Burga, TIME, 5 Apr. 2024

My first visit to the Middle East involved backpacking through a battered Lebanon after the 1982 Israeli invasion, which left many Palestinians dead but hasn’t improved Israel’s security. —Nicholas Kristof, The Mercury News, 20 Mar. 2024

Huffman then spent several months backpacking in Costa Rica before co-creating the travel website Hipmunk with Adam Goldstein, an author and software developer, in 2010. —Byorianna Rosa Royle, Fortune, 19 Mar. 2024

While some folks may not favor more cushion, this adds a layer of comfort for longer hikes, especially for high-impact activities like backpacking. —Meg Carney, Field & Stream, 4 Jan. 2024

My family heads to this park in the summer months in hopes of spending a few days backpacking, canoeing, and hiking through the near-untouched environment—admiring the nature and wildlife along the way. —Jamie Spain, Condé Nast Traveler, 18 Mar. 2024

The park draws interest for its hiking, backpacking and camping opportunities, as well as the scenic Going-to-the-Sun Road, a 50-mile route that connects the park's west and east ends. —Michael Salerno, The Arizona Republic, 29 Feb. 2024

Men do participate strongly in certain types of travel, such as wilderness exploring, backpacking, and other kinds of sports and adventure. —Michael Goldstein, Forbes, 22 Feb. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1897, in the meaning defined at sense 1b

Verb

1899, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

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