Baggins

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A fictional character known for his adventures in a fantasy literature series, particularly as a hobbit from the Shire
2. A name associated with a beloved literary figure who embarks on a quest involving dragons and treasure
3. A term that refers to a well-known protagonist in works of fantasy renowned for courage and curiosity

Etymology: Baggins is the surname of Bilbo and Frodo Baggins, the hobbit heroes of J.R.R. Tolkien's "The Hobbit" (1937) and "The Lord of the Rings." Tolkien did not coin it from scratch. He drew on the English dialect word "baggin" or "bagging," an old term for a bag or pouch, which fits the hobbits' love of pockets, pantries and provisions. The "-ins" ending is a familiar English patronymic pattern, as in Jenkins or Watkins, so the name sounds like an ordinary English family name while carrying a faint suggestion of luggage. Tolkien built the name in the Shire's English-flavoured world, where hobbit surnames were chosen to sound rustic and homely. Baggins came to stand for the comfortable, domesticated hobbit character as much as for any particular family, and it entered general use mainly as a literary reference.

Synonyms: hobbit (from Tolkien's works), character