Bags

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /bæɡz/

Definitions

1. A soft container typically made of materials such as canvas or plastic is utilized to carry or store various objects An item designed for holding or protecting other items while allowing for portability and convenience Informally, it refers to obtaining or securing something of value or a favorable situation
2. A flexible receptacle used for holding or transporting goods ; to acquire or gain possession of something
3. An item made from fabric or similar material for carrying belongings ; the act of securing or winning an object or outcome

Etymology: The noun "bags" is the plural of "bag," but the source tells a more interesting story about how the plural got here. It grows out of a verb: "bag" in the sense of making a first claim on something, as when someone calls dibs on a seat or a share of a prize. The third-person singular form of that verb, "bags," was extended into a noun. In this use it describes a claim or a stake, so to "bags" something is to reserve it for yourself before anyone else can. Over time the word moved from the verb's sense of staking a claim to the familiar sense of soft carrying containers, which is the meaning most speakers know today. The change is one of the more unusual routes a noun can take: a verb form, first used to mark ownership, turned into an everyday object name through the same sack-like idea of holding something for oneself.

Synonyms: sacks, purses, cases, containers, holdalls