bag
noun
a container or receptacle of leather, plastic, cloth, paper, etc., capable of being closed at the mouth; pouch.
bag
1 American
[bag]
/ bæg /
noun
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bags
plural
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a container or receptacle of leather, plastic, cloth, paper, etc., capable of being closed at the mouth; pouch.
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something resembling or suggesting such a receptacle.
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a suitcase or other portable container for carrying articles, as in traveling.
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the amount or quantity a bag can hold.
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any of various measures of capacity.
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a sac, as in an animal body.
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an udder.
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Slang. a small glassine or cellophane envelope containing a narcotic drug or a mixture of narcotics.
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something hanging in a loose, pouchlike manner, as skin or cloth; a baggy part.
He had bags under his eyes from lack of sleep.
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Baseball. base.
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Hunting. the amount of game taken, especially by one hunter in one hunting trip or over a specified period.
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Slang.
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a person's avocation, hobby, major interest, or obsession.
Jazz isn't my bag.
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a person's mood or frame of mind.
The boss is in a mean bag today.
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an environment, condition, or situation.
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bags,
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Informal. plenty; much; many (usually followed byof ).
bags of time; bags of money.
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Slang. trousers.
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verb (used without object)
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bags,
present (3rd person singular)
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bagged,
past participle, past
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bagging
present participle
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to swell or bulge.
A stiff breeze made the sails bag out.
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to hang loosely like an empty bag.
His socks bagged at the ankles.
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to pack groceries or other items into a bag.
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Slang. to criticize, disparage, or dismiss a person or thing (usually followed byon ).
Stop bagging on me!
verb (used with object)
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bags,
present (3rd person singular)
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bagged,
past participle, past
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bagging
present participle
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to cause to swell or bulge; distend.
The wind bagged the curtain.
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to put into a bag.
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Informal. to kill or catch, as in hunting.
I bagged my first deer when I was a teenager.
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Slang. to quit, abandon, or skip (often used in the phrasebag it ): We'd better bag the deal.
I bagged my math class today.
We'd better bag the deal.
I was working too hard so I decided to bag it.
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Slang. to criticize, disparage, or dismiss.
Don’t bag my vegan diet—I feel great since I started it.
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Theater. clew.
interjection
idioms
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bag of tricks, a supply of expedient resources; stratagems.
Maybe they will finally be honest with us, once they've run through their bag of tricks.
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bag and baggage,
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with all one's personal property.
When they went to collect the rent, they found he had left, bag and baggage.
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completely; totally.
The equipment had disappeared, bag and baggage, without even the slightest trace.
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in the bag, virtually certain; assured; definite: The sale of the house is in the bag.
Her promotion is in the bag.
The sale of the house is in the bag.
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old bag, an unattractive, often slatternly woman.
a gossipy old bag.
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leave holding the bag / sack, to force to bear the entire blame, responsibility, or loss that was to have been shared.
His accomplices flew to South America and he was left holding the bag.
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bag of bones, an emaciated person or animal.
B.Ag.
2
American
abbreviation
bag
British
/ bæɡ /
noun
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a flexible container with an opening at one end
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Also called: bagful. the contents of or amount contained in such a container
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any of various measures of quantity, such as a bag containing 1 hundredweight of coal
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a piece of portable luggage
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short for handbag
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anything that hangs loosely, sags, or is shaped like a bag, such as a loose fold of skin under the eyes or the bulging part of a sail
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any pouch or sac forming part of the body of an animal, esp the udder of a cow
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hunting the quantity of quarry taken in a single hunting trip or by a single hunter
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derogatory an ugly or bad-tempered woman (often in the phrase old bag )
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slang a measure of marijuana, heroin, etc, in folded paper
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slang a person's particular taste, field of skill, interest, activity, etc
blues is his bag
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informal
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with all one's belongings
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entirely
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a lean creature
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slang almost assured of succeeding or being obtained
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informal every device; everything
verb
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(tr) to put into a bag
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to bulge or cause to bulge; swell
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(tr) to capture or kill, as in hunting
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(tr) to catch, seize, or steal
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(intr) to hang loosely; sag
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(tr) to achieve or accomplish
she bagged seven birdies
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informal (tr) to reserve or secure the right to do or to have something
he bagged the best chair
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slang (tr) to criticize; disparage
bag
More Idioms
Regionalisms
Although bag and sack are both used everywhere throughout the U.S., the more commonly used word in the North Midland U.S. is bag and in the South Midland is sack.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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bagsimple
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bagssimple
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have baggedperfect
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has baggedperfect
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am baggingprogressive
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are baggingprogressive
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is baggingprogressive
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have been baggingperfect progressive
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has been baggingperfect progressive
Past
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baggedsimple
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had baggedperfect
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was baggingprogressive
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were baggingprogressive
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had been baggingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of bag
First recorded in 1200–50; 1920–25 bag for def. 31; Middle English bagge, from Old Norse baggi “pack, bundle, bag”
Explanation
A bag is a lightweight, flexible container meant for carrying things. A grocery bag is one you bring home from the supermarket full of food. In some places the word sack is more common, but the handled container you get at the store when you buy something is usually called a bag. You can also refer to a suitcase, handbag, or purse as a bag. When the word is used as a verb, it can mean "to put in a bag," but also "to catch something." Figuratively, you can "be left holding the bag," which means to be swindled or cheated.
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.
See Examples For:
The Camino is a choose-your-own-adventure: Sleep in public dorms or private rooms, walk solo or in informal groups, carry everything or send your bag ahead.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 25, 2026
“There would be, kind of, a cat out of the bag, so to speak. You can’t count ballots if they’re not in the possession of the registrar.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 25, 2026
So I sliced the kielbasa into coins, cut up one red pepper and one medium onion, tucked the whole thing into a reusable freezer bag and flattened it out.
From Salon ● Aug. 25, 2026
"Anyone who has buried a rucksack or holdall bag at the site and would like it back is asked to get in contact with us," he said.
From BBC ● Aug. 24, 2026
Ignoring me, Sela sat next to Auntie, a curtain of dark hair glowing red around the edges briefly blocking her face as she set her canvas bag on the ground.
From "Legendary Frybread Drive-In" by Cynthia Leitich Smith
And a third of the 2,000 parents polled said they've sacrificed things for themselves to meet back-to-school costs like uniforms, bags or books.
From BBC ● Aug. 25, 2026
Tens of thousands more have been put on alert and told to have bags ready to go at a moment's notice.
From Barron's ● Aug. 24, 2026
Standing by the DJ booth with an armful of shopping bags, a tourist named Paul told me that he and his son have taken several trips from the Philippines to the States.
From Slate ● Aug. 24, 2026
Instead, years of miscalculations from the front office have left fans scouting college quarterbacks on Saturdays and wearing bags on their heads on Sundays.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 19, 2026
The closest overhead bins are filled with roller bags, so I contort myself to shove my backpack beneath the seat in front of mine.
From "Legendary Frybread Drive-In" by Cynthia Leitich Smith
Then I round the corner toward the bagged vegetables and point my phone at a package of Earthbound Farm broccoli florets.
From Salon ● Aug. 14, 2026
In the past, foods including bagged salad mixes, fresh cilantro, fresh basil, raspberries, snow peas and scallions have been linked to cyclosporiasis.
From Barron's ● Jul. 17, 2026
Americans may also want to consider other precautions, like not buying bagged lettuce or salad kits.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 14, 2026
But he proved on Saturday that he wasn’t done single-handedly turning World Cup matches on his own—he has now bagged eight of his 12 international goals at major tournaments.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 12, 2026
A woman who’s just gotten her clothes bagged walks away from the table, and as the next person comes up, the bearded man’s eyes roam the room and land on Courtney and me.
From "Odd One Out" by Nic Stone
Deutch is perfect casting for plucky Gail, who commits to bagging Hamm with such gumption that she jumps on a hotel mattress like a little kid.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 8, 2026
In the 1970s and 1980s, teen employment routinely topped 50%, as bagging groceries, flipping burgers and lifeguarding were considered a rite of passage for young Americans.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 24, 2026
For Jane, it’s either that or bagging groceries at Trader Joe’s.
From Salon ● Mar. 26, 2026
He was working at a supermarket bagging groceries when he got a call from a label over his viral plays on the DIY platform SoundCloud.
From Barron's ● Feb. 2, 2026
Dill loved being on bagging duty on these early evenings in late September.
From "The Serpent King" by Jeff Zentner
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
