doggy bag

noun

1. a small bag provided on request by a restaurant for a customer to carry home leftovers of a meal, ostensibly to feed a dog or other pet.

doggy bag

noun

1. a bag into which leftovers from a meal may be put and taken away, supposedly for the diner's dog

Word History and Origins

Origin of doggy bag¹

An Americanism dating back to 1965–70

When To Use

What does doggy bag mean?

A doggy bag is a bag or container that a diner uses to bring home the leftovers of their meal from a restaurant.At the end of the meal, if the diner has food left over that they want to bring home, they can ask for a doggy bag. The server may then take the food from the table and package it up for the customer, or they may simply bring the customer the containers.It is sometimes spelled doggie bag. A doggie bag can also be called a to-go bag or a take-home bag. Diners might simply ask for a bag or box or for the rest of their meal to be “wrapped up” or “boxed.” Or they might ask to have the leftovers “to-go.”Doggie bag means something different than takeout or carry-out, which refer to food picked up from a restaurant to be eaten at home. In contrast, a doggy bag is a bag for the leftovers of the meal that was eaten at the restaurant.Example: I ordered way too much food, so I’m going to take the rest home—can you pack it up for me in a doggy bag?