handbag

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noun hand·bag \ ˈhan(d)-ˌbag \

Definition of handbag

1 :suitcase

2 :a bag held in the hand or hung from a shoulder strap and used for carrying small personal articles and money

See handbag defined for English-language learners

See handbag defined for kids

Examples of handbag in a Sentence

flies only with a handbag so he doesn't have to check his luggage
her handbag is just big enough to hold her favorite photos and wallet

Recent Examples of handbag from the Web

Emily Shortell of Long Beach, New York, determined her problem was her design career after finding the same unhappiness while working in multiple environments, including a handbag company, a marketing company and a guitar string manufacturer.

— anna helhoski, The Seattle Times, "Want to change careers? Do these 5 things first," 29 Aug. 2017
Green said detectives discovered evidence linking him to the crimes including handbags from Luxmary as well as multiple watches stolen from the Toluca Watch Co. on West Riverside Drive in Burbank in June.

— andy nguyen, Burbank Leader, "Los Angeles man suspected of multiple Southland burglaries, including two in Burbank," 8 Aug. 2017
The models reportedly use a number of tricks to cycle through so many outfits, including changing clothes in under a minute and using their feet to kick a handbag up to them.

— ella ceron, Teen Vogue, "Chinese Online Store Models Pose Rapidly in Behind-the-Scenes Videos," 31 July 2017
In addition to high-end jeans for men and women, the shop sells cashmere tops, handbags and shoes.

— erin hegarty, Naperville Sun, "Board & Barrel open, Lil J's Bohemia closes in downtown Naperville," 28 July 2017
Discount Divas sells clothing, jewelry, shoes, handbags and more at lower prices and in a wide variety of sizes.

— lucy berry, AL.com, "Fast-growing Discount Divas opens pop up shop at Parkway Place Mall," 10 July 2017
Ratajkowski just designed a special new handbag with The Kooples, Graham completed her 14th season working with Addition Elle lingerie and DNCE’s creating cool new sneakers with K•Swiss.

— colleen kratofil, PEOPLE.com, "Emily Ratajkowski, Ashley Graham and DNCE All Have Exciting New Design Collaborations," 5 July 2017
Thanks to an unlikely hero––housewife Lillian Cross, who used her handbag to knock the gun off target––Roosevelt escaped unscathed.

— meilan solly, Smithsonian, "Colorized Footage Is a Vivid Reminder that History Didn’t Happen in Black and White," 29 June 2017
The teens made off with the 86-year-old’s purse, which contained $700 in cash, and with the 52-year-old’s handbag, which contained $200 and a cellphone.

— stephanie farr, Philly.com, "Cops: Teen girls robbed cabbies, tourists at gunpoint," 27 June 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'handbag.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of handbag

1859

handbag Synonyms

Synonyms

carryall, carry-on, grip, traveling bag, holdall [chiefly British], portmanteau, suitcase, wallet

Related Words

overnight bag (also overnight case), weekend bag (also weekend case), weekender; cosmetic case, traveling case; carpetbag, duffel bag, kit, kit bag; backpack, haversack, knapsack, packsack, rucksack; attaché, attaché case, briefcase, valise; baggage, bags, luggage

HANDBAG Defined for English Language Learners

handbag

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noun

Definition of handbag for English Language Learners

: a woman's small bag or purse used for carrying personal things and money

HANDBAG Defined for Kids

handbag

play

noun hand·bag \ ˈhand-ˌbag \

Definition of handbag for Students

:a bag used for carrying money and small personal articles

Learn More about handbag

See words that rhyme with handbag Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for handbag Spanish Central: Translation of handbag Nglish: Translation of handbag for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of handbag for Arabic speakers

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handbag

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