haversack

noun

hav·​er·​sack ˈha-vər-ˌsak 

: a bag similar to a knapsack but worn over one shoulder

Examples of haversack in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Each foot soldier carried a ten-pound musket, a sixteen-inch bayonet, a tin canteen, a linen haversack, and his own blanket—a battlefield luxury, since in peacetime five men typically shared two blankets. —/ Cbs News, CBS News, 13 June 2025

Trimmed with luggage slats and a restraint bar, the box lands ready to support any traveling cases, haversacks, miniature steamer trunks, or other traveling caboodle carried in the cabin, but definitely not any plus-two passengers. —Larry Griffin, Car and Driver, 24 Apr. 2023

There was the field bag (a canvas haversack used by soldiers in both world wars), the satchel (worn across the body and popularized by Indiana Jones), and the tote bag (notably prevalent among readers of The New Yorker). —Nick Haramis, New York Times, 8 Nov. 2021

The next entry shows Gigger was docked pay for losing a canteen and a haversack. —Dennis Hohenberger, Courant Community, 14 Mar. 2018

Word History

Etymology

French havresac, from German Habersack bag for oats, from Haber oats + Sack bag

First Known Use

1711, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

haversack

noun

hav·​er·​sack ˈhav-ər-ˌsak 

: a bag similar to a knapsack but worn over one shoulder