carpetbag

[ kahr-pit-bag ]

/ ˈkɑr pɪtˌbæg /

noun

a bag for traveling, especially one made of carpeting.

verb (used without object), car·pet·bagged, car·pet·bag·ging.

to journey with little luggage.

Nearby words

carpet tile, carpet tiles, carpet, magic, carpet-bomb, carpet-sweeper, carpetbag, carpetbagger, carpetbaggers, carpeting, carpetweed, carphenazine maleate

Origin of carpetbag

First recorded in 1820–30; carpet + bag

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for carpetbag

A traveller got out with his carpetbag in his hand, and was shown into the sanded parlour.
My Novel, Complete|Edward Bulwer-Lytton
And before a hand could be raised to prevent him, he had emptied the contents of the carpetbag upon the table.
The Luck of Roaring Camp and Other Tales|Bret Harte
In one hour from that time they had packed a box and a carpetbag, and were on their way to a railway station.
Put Yourself in His Place|Charles Reade
We'll be likely to need thread, buttons, and some patches for our clothes, though I've got a supply in my carpetbag.
Klondike Nuggets|E. S. Ellis

When the boy got through, he cast a speculative glance at the carpetbag.
Brave and Bold|Horatio Alger

British Dictionary definitions for carpetbag

carpetbag

/ (ˈkɑːpɪtˌbæɡ) /

noun

a travelling bag originally made of carpeting

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

Word Origin and History for carpetbag

carpetbag

also carpet-bag, "soft-cover traveling case made of carpet fabric," 1830, from carpet (n.) + bag (n.).