Briefcase

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈbɹiːfˌkeɪs/

Definitions

1. A hard-shell container designed for carrying papers, electronics, and other essentials, often used by business professionals during travel or daily commutes
2. A portable case typically with a handle, used for carrying important documents, laptops, and other work-related items, especially by business individuals
3. A flat, rectangular carrier with a secure closure, intended for transporting papers, devices, and personal belongings, especially for professional purposes

Etymology: The word is a plain compound of "brief" and "case", and the "brief" in it is the legal sense rather than the one meaning "short." In English law, a brief was the written document summarising a client's case and the facts for a barrister to argue in court, and "case" in the sense of a container gave us the portable box a lawyer might carry such papers in. The combination in the sense of a small hand-carried container for documents follows naturally from that legal usage. The surprise lies in the first element. "Brief" entered English from Old French "bref", ultimately from Latin "brevis", meaning "short," so the lawyer's document was named for its brevity, a summary rather than the full record. Over time the lawyer's brief came to be carried in a bag, and the bag took the name, so the object is named after the paperwork inside it rather than after any quality of its own.

Synonyms: attaché case, portfolio