handbag

[ hand-bag ]
/ ˈhændˌbæg /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR handbag ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

a bag or box of leather, fabric, plastic, or the like, held in the hand or carried by means of a handle or strap, commonly used by women for holding money, toilet articles, small purchases, etc.
valise.

QUIZZES

DO YOU KNOW THIS VOCABULARY FROM "THE HANDMAID'S TALE"?

"The Handmaid's Tale" was required reading for many of us in school. Everyone else has probably watched the very popular and addictive TV show. Do you remember this vocabulary from the book, and do you know what these terms mean?
Question 1 of 10
decorum
the act of or need for making up one's mind.
dignified propriety of behavior, speech, dress, etc.
a company of singers, especially an organized group employed in church service.
TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of handbag

First recorded in 1860–65; hand + bag

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH handbag

briefcase handbag pocketbook purse valise wallet

Words nearby handbag

hand-walk, hand-wash, hand-wringing, handan, handba', handbag, handbags, handball, handbarrow, handbasket, handbell
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Words related to handbag

pocketbook, leather, backpack, purse, bag, grip, hide, clutch, knapsack, portmanteau, reticule

Example sentences from the Web for handbag

British Dictionary definitions for handbag

handbag
/ (ˈhændˌbæɡ) /

noun

Also called: bag, (US and Canadian) purse, (chiefly US) pocketbook a woman's small bag carried to contain personal articles
a small suitcase that can be carried by hand
a commercial style of House music

Word Origin for handbag

(for sense 3) C20: humorous allusion to the trend for groups of women to dance round their handbags in discos, nightclubs, etc
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