bag

[ bag ]
See synonyms for bag on Thesaurus.com
noun
  1. a container or receptacle of leather, plastic, cloth, paper, etc., capable of being closed at the mouth; pouch.

  2. something resembling or suggesting such a receptacle.

  1. a suitcase or other portable container for carrying articles, as in traveling.

  2. the amount or quantity a bag can hold.

  3. any of various measures of capacity.

  4. a sac, as in an animal body.

  5. an udder.

  6. Slang. a small glassine or cellophane envelope containing a narcotic drug or a mixture of narcotics.

  7. something hanging in a loose, pouchlike manner, as skin or cloth; a baggy part: He had bags under his eyes from lack of sleep.

  8. Baseball. base1 (def. 9b).

  9. Hunting. the amount of game taken, especially by one hunter in one hunting trip or over a specified period.

  10. Slang.

    • a person's avocation, hobby, major interest, or obsession: Jazz isn't my bag.

    • a person's mood or frame of mind: The boss is in a mean bag today.

    • an environment, condition, or situation.

  11. bags,

    • Informal. plenty; much; many (usually followed by of): bags of time; bags of money.

verb (used without object),bagged, bag·ging.
  1. to swell or bulge: A stiff breeze made the sails bag out.

  2. to hang loosely like an empty bag: His socks bagged at the ankles.

  1. to pack groceries or other items into a bag.

  2. Slang. to criticize, disparage, or dismiss a person or thing (usually followed by on): Stop bagging on me!

verb (used with object),bagged, bag·ging.
  1. to cause to swell or bulge; distend: The wind bagged the curtain.

  2. to put into a bag.

  1. Informal. to kill or catch, as in hunting: I bagged my first deer when I was a teenager.

  2. Slang. to quit, abandon, or skip (often used in the phrase bag it): I bagged my math class today.We'd better bag the deal.I was working too hard so I decided to bag it.

  3. Slang. to criticize, disparage, or dismiss: Don’t bag my vegan diet—I feel great since I started it.

  4. Theater. clew (def. 9a).

interjection
  1. bags! British Slang. (used to lay first claim to something): Bags it! Bags, I go first!

Idioms about bag

  1. bag and baggage,

    • with all one's personal property: When they went to collect the rent, they found he had left, bag and baggage.

    • completely; totally: The equipment had disappeared, bag and baggage, without even the slightest trace.

  2. bag of bones, an emaciated person or animal.

  1. bag of tricks, a supply of expedient resources; stratagems: Maybe they will finally be honest with us, once they've run through their bag of tricks.

  2. in the bag, Informal. virtually certain; assured; definite: Her promotion is in the bag. The sale of the house is in the bag.

  3. leave holding the bag / sack, Informal. to force to bear the entire blame, responsibility, or loss that was to have been shared: His accomplices flew to South America and he was left holding the bag.

  4. old bag, Slang. an unattractive, often slatternly woman: a gossipy old bag.

Origin of bag

1
First recorded in 1200–50; 1920–25 for def. 31; Middle English bagge, from Old Norse baggi “pack, bundle, bag”

regional variation note For bag

1. Although bag and sack are both used everywhere throughout the U.S., the more commonly used word in the North Midland U.S. is bag and in the South Midland is sack.

Other words from bag

  • bag·like, adjective
  • un·bagged, adjective

Other definitions for B.Ag. (2 of 2)

B.Ag.

abbreviation
  1. Bachelor of Agriculture.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use bag in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for bag

bag

/ (bæɡ) /


noun
  1. a flexible container with an opening at one end

  2. Also called: bagful the contents of or amount contained in such a container

  1. any of various measures of quantity, such as a bag containing 1 hundredweight of coal

  2. a piece of portable luggage

  3. short for handbag

  4. anything that hangs loosely, sags, or is shaped like a bag, such as a loose fold of skin under the eyes or the bulging part of a sail

  5. any pouch or sac forming part of the body of an animal, esp the udder of a cow

  6. hunting the quantity of quarry taken in a single hunting trip or by a single hunter

  7. derogatory, slang an ugly or bad-tempered woman (often in the phrase old bag)

  8. slang a measure of marijuana, heroin, etc, in folded paper

  9. slang a person's particular taste, field of skill, interest, activity, etc: blues is his bag

  10. bag and baggage informal

    • with all one's belongings

    • entirely

  11. a bag of bones a lean creature

  12. in the bag slang almost assured of succeeding or being obtained

  13. the bag of tricks or the whole bag of tricks informal every device; everything

verbbags, bagging or bagged
  1. (tr) to put into a bag

  2. to bulge or cause to bulge; swell

  1. (tr) to capture or kill, as in hunting

  2. (tr) to catch, seize, or steal

  3. (intr) to hang loosely; sag

  4. (tr) to achieve or accomplish: she bagged seven birdies

  5. (tr) British informal to reserve or secure the right to do or to have something: he bagged the best chair

  6. (tr) Australian slang to criticize; disparage

Origin of bag

1
C13: probably from Old Norse baggi; related to Old French bague bundle, pack, Medieval Latin baga chest, sack, Flemish bagge

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Idioms and Phrases with bag

bag

In addition to the idioms beginning with bag

  • bag and baggage
  • bag it
  • bag of tricks

also see:

  • brown bagger
  • grab bag
  • in the bag
  • leave holding the bag
  • let the cat out of the bag
  • mixed bag

The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.