satchel
Americannoun
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of satchel
1300–50; Middle English sachel < Old French < Latin saccellus, double diminutive of saccus sack 1; see -elle
Explanation
A satchel is a bag with a shoulder strap. People often carry their books in a leather satchel. There are many types of luggage people use for carrying their belongings, such as suitcases, briefcases, purses, backpacks, and duffel bags. Another is the satchel, which is a small or medium-sized case with a flat bottom. A satchel usually has a shoulder strap which makes it easier to carry, and it's often full of books. The word satchel is related to sack, both coming from the Latin root saccus, or "bag."
Vocabulary lists containing satchel
The Diary of Anne Frank
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The Devil's Arithmetic
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A Lesson Before Dying
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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.
See Examples For:
Not necessarily a designer one, but a handbag with a strong sense of itself — an acid-green baguette bag, a wicker orb with a padlock, a cheetah-print apothecary satchel.
From Salon ● Dec. 20, 2025
Jackson, wearing a flashy dark suit and leather shoes that matched his brown satchel, told reporters outside the courthouse that the case was “very, very complex.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 17, 2025
Peggy Jo nodded, stuck the money into a satchel, and walked out of the bank.
From Slate ● Nov. 15, 2025
The advert sees Keoghan, depicting his Banshees character Dominic Kearney, riding a donkey that is meandering along on a path in rural Ireland while he tosses laptops out of a satchel to bemused islanders.
From BBC ● Feb. 13, 2025
Brigit rolled her eyes, pulled her hair into a ponytail, and stuffed yarn balls in her satchel.
From "The Marvellers" by Dhonielle Clayton
If that fails, mail carriers can put their mail satchels between themselves and the dog.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 5, 2024
At the time of the raid, he was compliant, albeit nervous for the researchers to scan his satchels of spice.
From Salon ● Aug. 2, 2023
All those attending the meeting were required to place phones in sealed satchels for its duration.
From Reuters ● May 26, 2023
Gear is stowed in satchels and nautical bags.
From Seattle Times ● Jan. 14, 2023
“My donkey had two satchels full of books for Saint-Denis. That’s where I’m going, too! To Abbot Hubert, at Saint-Denis! So first we’ll go retrieve the books, and then we’ll all go to Saint-Denis together!”
From "The Inquisitor's Tale" by Adam Gidwitz
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.
