handbags

British

/ ˈhændˌbæɡz /

plural noun

facetious an incident in which people, esp sportsmen, fight or threaten to fight, but without real intent to inflict harm (esp in the phrases handbags at dawn, handbags at twenty paces, etc)

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

"Those who can spot good quality will get the best products," she said, standing guard over a large pile of handbags.

From Barron's • Jun. 17, 2026

A question for luxury brands and their shareholders now is whether handbags are more like expensive property or pineapples.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 15, 2026

Parnell said the handbags themselves were "pieces of art" and "extremely rare" and were considered investments by many people.

From BBC • May 21, 2026

When Eucharistic ministers moved through aisles to distribute Communion, they had to tiptoe around knees and handbags.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 3, 2026

Otherwise they looked exactly like Mrs. Dodds—same gnarled hands, paisley handbags, wrinkled velvet dresses.

From "The Lightning Thief" by Rick Riordan

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023