handbag
Americannoun
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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.
noun
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Also called: bag. purse. pocketbook. a woman's small bag carried to contain personal articles
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a small suitcase that can be carried by hand
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a commercial style of House music
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of handbag
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
She throws a different leather handbag onto the passenger seat of her car, pulls on a pair of black leather driving gloves, and zooms off.
From Salon • Jul. 2, 2026
That matters because the companies best positioned for China’s next stage of consumer growth may not be those selling another handbag, car, or appliance.
From Barron's • Jun. 19, 2026
Something is going on in the handbag business.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 15, 2026
The child, who was not charged with any wrongdoing, told police he obtained the firearm by mounting a drawer to reach his mother's handbag on top of a dresser, where the handgun was kept.
From BBC • May 21, 2026
Bruno said, poking his head up out of the handbag.
From "The Witches" by Roald Dahl
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
