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Synonyms

tote bag

American  

noun

  1. an open handbag or shopping bag used especially for carrying packages or small items.

tote bag British  

noun

  1. a large roomy handbag or shopping bag

"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 tote bag

An Americanism dating back to 1895–1900

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.

The caption: “The way I want to pack just one tote bag like Carolyn Bessette for a weekend away v. what I actually packed.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 7, 2026

The black leather tote bag she is often seen carrying has sold out and the pink pen she used at her first press conference has gone viral.

From BBC • Feb. 7, 2026

Maybe, like all the best underdogs — your second-favorite tote bag, the backup perfume you suddenly can’t live without — it doesn’t need to be flashy to be indispensable.

From Salon • Aug. 12, 2025

One pink mini tote bag is currently listed online at $999.99.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 10, 2025

Mom asks, slipping Jordan into the tote bag.

From "It’s Kind of a Funny Story" by Ned Vizzini

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.