handbag
Americannoun
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a bag or box of leather, fabric, plastic, or the like, held in the hand or carried by means of a handle or strap, commonly used for holding money, personal grooming items, small purchases, etc.
noun
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Also called: bag. purse. pocketbook. a woman's small bag carried to contain personal articles
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a small suitcase that can be carried by hand
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a commercial style of House music
Etymology
Origin of handbag
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Shares in Parisian handbag doyenne Hermes fell sharply last week after it booked a sales drop the company blamed partly on fewer Middle Eastern travelers splurging in its European boutiques.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 21, 2026
An "opportunistic" thief who stole a handbag containing an emerald-encrusted Fabergé egg and watch set worth up to £2.2 million from a central London pub has been jailed for more than two years.
From BBC • Apr. 9, 2026
Hermès doesn’t care if your AI agent found a cheaper handbag.
From MarketWatch • Mar. 19, 2026
“A handbag used to be the luxury symbol,” Svec said.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 17, 2026
The mother's handbag lay on a chair at the other end of the table.
From "Matilda" by Roald Dahl
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
