Handbag

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈhændˌbæɡ/

Definitions

1. A fashion accessory often held in hand that serves to carry personal items like money and cosmetics, usually designed for women
2. A compact carrier typically worn by women, intended for storing essentials such as credit cards and personal care items
3. A stylish accessory designed to be carried by hand that is primarily used to store personal belongings, including money, makeup, and other small items

Etymology: The most surprising thing about "handbag" is that its best-known sense now has a second life as a verb meaning to attack something aggressively. That verb comes from Margaret Thatcher, the British prime minister, who was famous for carrying a large handbag. The story goes that she could not look at an existing British institution without hitting it with her handbag, and a commentator writing about governance in the 2010s used "to handbag" to describe how her style pushed aside collaborative approaches in favour of forceful, top-down control. The noun itself is a plain compound of "hand" and "bag", describing a small bag carried in the hand for personal items. The word has also given its name to a music genre: "handbag house" was named after women dancing in nightclubs around a heap of their handbags, which they had set down on the floor.

Synonyms: purse, clutch, satchel, tote, bag