Haversack

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈhævəsæk/

Definitions

1. A type of bag worn across the body for transporting belongings while on foot or during travel
2. A portable pouch that is commonly used to carry essential gear, especially for hiking or service members
3. A compact bag designed to be slung over the shoulder and used to carry personal items or equipment

Etymology: The haversack was originally a sack for oats, and its name says so plainly. It comes from German "Hafer", meaning oats, and "Sack", meaning bag. Soldiers and travelers carried it to hold feed for horses, and the same bag could hold a man's own rations. The word reached English through French "havresac", which took the German form and kept its meaning. The Low German and Dutch cousins, "Haaversack" and "haverzak", preserve the same oat-bag sense, so the compound was a shared northern European term for a bag built for carrying grain. Over time the sense moved from the animal's feed to the soldier's kit. What began as a bag for horse fodder became a canvas shoulder bag for food and gear on the march, and the modern sense of a plain canvas bag worn over one shoulder grew from that military use.

Synonyms: backpack, satchel, bag, knapsack, rucksack