bag lady

[ bag ley-dee ]

noun

1. Slang: Offensive. an unsheltered or homeless woman who lives and sleeps on city streets or in public places, often keeping all her belongings with her in shopping bags.
2. bagwoman.

bag lady

noun

1. a woman who is homeless and wanders city streets with all her possessions in shopping bags Also called (in full)shopping bag lady

Word History and Origins

Origin of bag lady¹

First recorded in 1960–65

Example Sentences

The Daily Pic: In "Bag Lady in Flight", one of L.A.'s great artists brought the street inside.

From The Daily Beast

I had no idea I was going to be drinking out of a paper bag with a bag lady.

From The Daily Beast

Well beyond her addled NYU appearance and beyond the fashionable-bag lady look, the real Mary-Kate is now a successful adult.

From The Daily Beast

Alexandra Penney, author of ‘The Bag Lady Papers,’ watches ‘Chasing Madoff’ and gives it a thumbs up.

From The Daily Beast

From The Bag Lady Papers by Alexandra Penney Copyright (c) 2010.

From The Daily Beast

Related Words

• homeless person
• shopping cart lady
• shopping-bag lady
• unhoused person