handbag

[hand-bag]

noun

1. 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 for holding money, personal grooming items, small purchases, etc.

2. valise.

handbag

/ ˈhændˌbæɡ /

noun

1. Also called: bag.  purse.  pocketbook. a woman's small bag carried to contain personal articles

2. a small suitcase that can be carried by hand

3. a commercial style of House music

Word History and Origins

Origin of handbag¹

First recorded in 1860–65; hand + bag

Word History and Origins

Origin of handbag¹

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

Example Sentences

Perhaps best remembered as the inspiration for a luxury handbag, the Hermès Birkin, the woman herself favored a casual, accessible style.

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As she scrabbled for a laser pointer in her large handbag, her coloratura was comically on point, though she was inaudible in her middle range during the cabaletta.

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The company leans into the economics of the luxury industry, carefully limiting supply to ensure that its top models retain their value over time like Rolex watches or Hermès handbags.

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Linke compared the structures to the small magical handbag of Hermione Granger, a fictional character in the “Harry Potter” series, saying that they can “store huge amounts of gas in a tiny volume.”

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Victims were told by Watkin he had contacts that could give access to the handbags and they could split the profits on resale.

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Related Words

• backpack 
• bag 
• evening bag 
• leather 
• pocketbook 
• purse