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duffel

or duf·fle

[duhf-uh l]
See more synonyms for duffel on Thesaurus.com
noun
  1. a camper's clothing and equipment.
  2. a coarse woolen cloth having a thick nap, used for coats, blankets, etc.
  3. duffel bag.
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Origin of duffel

First recorded in 1640–50; after Duffel, a town near Antwerp
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words

duffleweekender

Examples from the Web for duffle

Contemporary Examples

Historical Examples

  • Yuma had taken the most essential things from his duffle and left the rest.

  • Two birch-bark canoes are loaded with our tents, duffle and provisions.

    Days in the Open

    Lathan A. Crandall

  • Then I packed my duffle and went to the little inn for breakfast.

    Fishing With The Fly

    Charles F. Orvis and Others

  • Smilax had opened our duffle and hung out several things to air.

    Wings of the Wind

    Credo Harris

  • Our tents had to be taken down, our blankets and duffle packed.

    Hints to Pilgrims

    Charles Stephen Brooks

British Dictionary definitions for duffle

duffel

duffle

noun
  1. a heavy woollen cloth with a thick nap
  2. mainly US and Canadian equipment or supplies, esp those of a camper
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Word Origin

C17: after Duffel, Belgian town
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 duffle

n.

1670s, from Dutch duffel, from Duffel, town in Brabant where the cloth was originally sold. Duffel bag is American English, first recorded 1917 in a letter of e e cummings.

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duffel

see duffle.

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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper