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Synonyms

rucksack

American  
[ruhk-sak, rook-] / ˈrʌkˌsæk, ˈrʊk- /

noun

  1. a type of knapsack carried by hikers, bicyclists, etc.

rucksack British  
/ ˈrʌkˌsæk /

noun

  1. US and Canadian name: backpack.  a large bag, usually having two straps and a supporting frame, carried on the back and often used by climbers, campers, 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

Etymology

Origin of rucksack

1890–95; < German: literally, back sack

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.

After being stopped in the international arrivals area, Lyons - who was wearing a t-shirt, shorts and carrying a rucksack - was handed over to I Gusti Ngurah Rai Airport Area Resort Police.

From BBC • Mar. 29, 2026

At various points on his journey, Noah appeared to discard some of his possessions including his rucksack and mobile phone.

From BBC • Jan. 19, 2026

On the night she died, she had packed her belongings into a suitcase and rucksack, suggesting she was preparing to leave, the court was told.

From BBC • Apr. 24, 2025

Paul Leighton is packing his rucksack with a heavy-duty hammer, pry bar and evidence bags for what he describes as "just an average day out".

From BBC • Apr. 23, 2025

I get my rucksack on, she gets her bag around her shoulders, Manchee’s on his feet again and walking, and out the back door we go.

From "The Knife of Never Letting Go" by Patrick Ness

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.