bag lady

[ bag ley-dee ]

noun

1. Slang: Offensive. an unsheltered or homeless woman who lives and sleeps on city streets or in public places, often keeping all her belongings with her in shopping bags.
2. bagwoman.

bag lady

noun

1. a woman who is homeless and wanders city streets with all her possessions in shopping bags Also called (in full)shopping bag lady

Word History and Origins

Origin of bag lady¹

First recorded in 1960–65

Example Sentences

Ms. Komar said: “That she was seen as some kind of bag lady, that her art gets overshadowed by those stories, makes us angry.”

From New York Times

“Hmm.... ,” the “Bag Lady” singer wrote over a photo of Bey in a tall, wide-brimmed hat, “I guess I’m everybody’s stylist.”

From Los Angeles Times

A pioneer of the ‘90s neo-soul movement with contemporaries like Maxwell, D’Angelo and Jill Scott, Badu crafted soulful classics like “On & On,” “Tyrone,” “Bag Lady,” “Didn’t Cha Know” and “Window Seat.”

From Washington Times

A pioneer of the ’90s neo-soul movement with contemporaries like Maxwell, D’Angelo and Jill Scott, Badu crafted soulful classics like “On & On,”“Tyrone,”“Bag Lady,”“Didn’t Cha Know” and “Window Seat.”

From Seattle Times

In his book “American Rhapsody,” Joe Eszterhas referred to her as “the bag lady of sleaze.”

From New York Times

Related Words

• homeless person
• shopping cart lady
• shopping-bag lady
• unhoused person