Backpack

Part of speech: noun, verb

Pronunciation: /ˈbæk.pæk/

Definitions

1. A portable bag with straps worn on the shoulders, typically used for carrying personal items or supplies while traveling or hiking
2. A bag designed to be carried on the back, featuring shoulder straps, often used for transporting belongings during activities like hiking or traveling
3. An item constructed to be worn on the back with adjustable straps, primarily utilized for holding personal gear or necessities while on the move

Etymology: The word is a plain compound: "back" joined to "pack," the bundle or load a person carries. "Back" comes from Old English "bæc," and "pack" arrived in English through Middle English from Middle Dutch "pak," which is related to the Old Dutch "pakko" and, further back, the Proto-Germanic "pakkô." Combined, the two parts describe a load carried on the back, a sense that the older word "pack" already had in the sense of a bundle. The compound is recent for English. Its first recorded appearance in print is in 1896, so it is a late creation compared with many everyday words, and it was formed transparently from parts that were already familiar. The verb use, meaning to travel light with such a bag, grew out of the same compound.

Synonyms: rucksack, knapsack