satchel
Americannoun
-
satchels
plural
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:
If a dog attacks, carriers are trained to use their mail satchel as a shield and deploy dog repellent if necessary.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 29, 2026
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
A mask, clothing and a satchel seen in surveillance footage from Providence was found in his car parked outside.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 19, 2025
She placed the money she received in a black satchel, nodded “thank you,” walked out the door, and climbed into a 20-foot Frontier RV with pretty purple shades around the windows.
From Slate ● Nov. 15, 2025
Her heart fluttered as she watched Brigit get dressed in the dark and grab 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
Each week, they meet in Prospect Park for time away from their screens and even their flip phones: drawing and painting; listening to the wind; reading physical books, pulled from satchels.
From New York Times ● Dec. 16, 2022
On the show, his assignment was to make a full outfit out of three satchels of randomly selected materials, mostly leather and canvas.
From Seattle Times ● Nov. 8, 2022
The knights all tuck in to dried sausages they’ve had in their satchels.
From "The Inquisitor's Tale" by Adam Gidwitz
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
