Bag

/bæɡ/

nounBeginner🔥Very CommonGeneral
2 meanings1 idiom/phrase1 question

Definitions

2 meanings
1

A flexible container, typically made of fabric, paper, or plastic, used for carrying or storing things.

/bæɡ/

nounneutralBeginner
General

A container made of flexible material, used for carrying things.

She carried her books in a canvas bag.

💡 Simply: A thing you carry stuff in.

More Examples

2

He put the trash in a garbage bag.

How It's Used

Everyday Life

"I packed my lunch in a brown paper bag."

Shopping

"The cashier put the groceries in a plastic bag."

2

To put something into a bag.

/bæɡ/

verbneutralBeginner
General

He bagged the apples.

💡 Simply: To put something inside a bag.

More Examples

2

They bagged all the evidence.

How It's Used

Everyday Life

"I bagged the groceries quickly."

Tip:Imagine the action of putting things 'into a bag'.

Idioms & expressions

Let the cat out of the bag

To reveal a secret.

"He let the cat out of the bag about the surprise party."

From Old Norse baggi, meaning 'belly, pouch'. Its use spread across Germanic languages and evolved into the modern English word.

Historically, 'bag' referred more often to sacks made of fabric for storing larger quantities of goods.

Memory tip

Think of a 'bag' as a 'belly' – it holds things inside.

Word Origin

LanguageOld Norse
Original meaning

"belly, pouch"

paper bagshopping bagplastic baghandbagbag of chips

Common misspellings

baggbagge

Usage

70%Spoken
30%Written