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Synonyms

handbag

American  
[hand-bag] / ˈhændˌbæg /

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 British  
/ 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

"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

Etymology

Origin of handbag

First recorded in 1860–65; hand + bag

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.

It had been developed by QVC handbag mogul Bruce Makowsky and had been stocked with roughly $30 million worth of cars and motorcycles and over 125 art installations.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 17, 2026

The Fabergé items were in her handbag after she took them for display at a work event earlier that evening.

From BBC • Apr. 9, 2026

Hermès doesn’t care if your AI agent found a cheaper handbag.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 19, 2026

She loves her jewelry, she loves her big giant handbag.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 19, 2026

She got down off her chair and picked up her handbag and slung it over her arm.

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.