Bookbag

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A portable container with straps designed for carrying books and school materials on the back or over the shoulder
2. A type of bag with straps that is commonly used to carry books and educational supplies, typically worn on the back or slung over the shoulder
3. This item serves as a handy carrier for books and other personal items, usually fitted with shoulder straps for ease of transport

Etymology: "Bookbag" is a compound of "book" and "bag," and its history is plain: it is a transparent, descriptive coinage rather than a borrowing. "Book" traces back to Old English "bōc," related to "bōc" meaning beech, because early English writing was often carved on beech wood tablets. "Bag" is a much older word, probably borrowed into English from Old Norse or a related Scandinavian source in the Middle English period, and it originally referred to a pouch or sack of soft material. The compound itself is American in origin and became common in the twentieth century, as school children increasingly carried texts and supplies home each day. The "book bag" spelling and the closed "bookbag" form both appear in dictionaries, and the single word is the more standard modern spelling. In British English the usual term is "school bag" or "satchel," which shows how regional usage can split a simple compound in different directions.

Synonyms: backpack, satchel, rucksack, knapsack, carryall