Washbag

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A bag designed for storing toiletries and personal hygiene items while traveling or at home
2. A portable pouch used to organize and carry items for washing, such as soap and toothbrushes
3. A container typically used for personal grooming supplies, often including compartments for organization during travel

Etymology: "Washbag" is about as plain as English compounds get: it joins "wash" and "bag," so a washbag is literally a bag for washing things, or more specifically for the washing supplies you carry when travelling. The compound is transparent in a way many words are not, since each element keeps its everyday meaning and nothing has been reshaped by sound change or borrowing. The interest lies mostly in the sense that has narrowed. "Wash" in the bag's name refers to the act of cleaning oneself, so the pouch is named for the activity its contents serve rather than for the bag's own function. Its close relative, the sponge bag, shows the same logic with a different central item. Both words belong to the same practical vocabulary of travel and personal hygiene that grew up as people moved about with their own toiletries.

Synonyms: toiletry bag, dopp kit, cosmetic bag, travel bag, grooming kit