knapsack

American  

[nap-sak] / ˈnæpˌsæk /

noun

1. a canvas, nylon, or leather bag for clothes, food, and other supplies, carried on the back by soldiers, hikers, etc.

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knapsack British  

/ ˈnæpˌsæk /

noun

1. a canvas or leather bag carried strapped on the back or shoulder

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Other Word Forms

• knapsacked
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of knapsack

1595–1605; < Low German knappsack, equivalent to knapp a bite (of food) + sack sack ¹; compare dialectal English knap to snap up, eat greedily

Explanation

A knapsack is a bag with two straps that you wear over your shoulders, leaving your arms free. Don't forget your knapsack when you head out on that hiking trip! You can also call a knapsack a "backpack" or a "rucksack." The word knapsack is thought to be the oldest of these terms, and while "backpack" is more often used today in the U.S., knapsack is more common in Canada. It comes from the German knappen, "to bite," and some experts believe that the name evolved from the fact that soldiers carried food in their knapsacks.

Example Sentences

In an 1831 pencil sketch, “Self-Portrait with Knapsack, Munich,” Bendz depicts himself as rakish artist-conquistador.

From New York Times • Mar. 23, 2023

The Civil War brought copyright filings for “Beadle’s Dime Knapsack Songster” and Augustine Duganne’s illustrated “Ballad’s of the War” in 1862.

From Washington Post • Oct. 2, 2020

For instance, there’s one NP-complete problem called the Knapsack Problem.

From Slate • Feb. 9, 2016

You can date the phrase back further, to 1998, when Peggy McIntosh used the word "privilege" in her essay White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack.

From The Guardian • Jun. 5, 2013

Views a-Foot; or Europe seen with Knapsack and Staff.

From Eureka: A Prose Poem by Poe, Edgar A.

Related Words

• duffel bag
• satchel