valise

American  

[vuh-lees, -leez] / vəˈlis, -ˈliz /

noun

1. a small piece of luggage that can be carried by hand, used to hold clothing, toilet articles, etc.; suitcase; traveling bag.

---

valise British  

/ vəˈliːz /

noun

1. a small overnight travelling case

---

Etymology

Origin of valise

1605–15; < French < Italian valigia, of obscure origin; compare Medieval Latin valēsium

Explanation

A valise is a small suitcase. If you're carrying a valise as you climb onto a train, you're probably heading off on a short vacation or a weekend trip to visit a friend. The noun valise sounds a little old-fashioned these days, but it's still a good way to talk about a satchel or overnight bag. You might pack a valise for a night at your sister's house, or carry a valise onto an airplane. In the 1600's, valise was often used to mean a soldier's small bag, and while the word has a Latin root, valisia, experts aren't sure what its origins might be.

Example Sentences

At the college archives, Creamer showed us more of the Stevens artifacts housed there, including a valise marked with his name and a photograph of the congressman’s boot maker.

From Washington Post • Jun. 10, 2021

She put her amplifier, a folding chair, a pillow, her new CDs and a set list of more than 100 songs into a blue valise.

From New York Times • Sep. 16, 2016

This he most emphatically proclaimed in his creation of the X, Y and Z Portfolios, a modern-day boîte en valise, after Duchamp, a “suitcase” of the artist’s most select wares.

From The Guardian • Nov. 17, 2015

At 21 she fled to London with a handful of records in her valise and has been an expat ever since.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 17, 2015

When she's said her good-byes, Ollie takes her tapestry valise and puts his hand on the doorknob.

From "Girl in the Blue Coat" by Monica Hesse