briefcase

[breef-keys]

noun

1. a flat, rectangular case with a handle, often of leather, for carrying books, papers, etc.

briefcase

/ ˈbriːfˌkeɪs /

noun

1. a flat portable case, often of leather, for carrying papers, books, etc

Word History and Origins

Origin of briefcase¹

1925–30; brief (noun) + case ²

Example Sentences

He carried a script he was writing in a slim briefcase, which he’d shuttle back and forth from the brand-new Starbucks down the street.

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He opened briefcases and huge chests with bundles of cash.

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If the blast was deliberate, it would be the deadliest such incident in New Delhi since 2011, when a bomb placed in a briefcase outside a courthouse killed 15 people and injured dozens of others.

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There was the “football”—a black briefcase carried by military officers, handed off from one to the other, kept close to the president at all times.

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Another video showed a robber carrying a weapon and opening the rear door of the van, while another loaded briefcases into the vehicle.

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Related Words

• bag 
• baggage 
• folder