bag

1 of 3

noun

ˈbag How to pronounce bag (audio)
 also  ˈbāg
1
: a usually flexible container that may be closed for holding, storing, or carrying something: such as
a
: purse
especially : handbag
b
: a bag for game
c
2
: something resembling a bag: such as
a(1)
: a pouched or pendulous bodily part or organ
especially : udder
(2)
: a puffy or sagging protuberance of flabby skin
b
: a puffed-out sag or bulge in cloth
c
: a square white stuffed canvas bag used to mark a base in baseball
3
: the amount contained in a bag
4
a
: a quantity of game taken
also : the maximum legal quantity of game
b
: an assortment or collection especially of nonmaterial things
a bag of tricks
5
: an unattractive woman
6
: something one likes or does regularly or well
also : one's characteristic way of doing things

bag

2 of 3

verb

bagged; bagging

intransitive verb

1
: to swell out : bulge
2
: to hang loosely

transitive verb

1
: to cause to swell
2
: to put into a bag
3
a
: to take (animals) as game
b
: to get possession of especially by strategy or stealth
c
d
: to shoot down : destroy
4
: to achieve in or as if in competition : win
bag a playoff berth
5
informal
a
: to give up, forgo, or abandon especially for something more desirable or attainable
decided to bag her job and move to the country
often used with it
I headed all the way across campus in the sleet for my 12:40, and after twenty minutes I just wanted to bag it and crawl back into bed.Kate Haracz
b
: to dismiss (someone) from a job or position : fire, sack
Tiger's been losing his temper and his putting stroke. He shed his agent, and he bagged his caddy …Robert Sullivan
6
medical : to ventilate the lungs of (a patient) using a hand-squeezed bag attached to a face mask
I asked the respiratory therapist to continue bagging and assisting the patient while I sought the family's permission not to proceed with intubation.Malinda H. Bell
bagger noun
plural baggers

BAg

3 of 3

abbreviation

bachelor of agriculture
Phrases
in the bag
1
: sure, certain
her nomination was in the bag
also : assured of a successful conclusion : sewn up
have the game in the bag
2
slang : drunk sense 1a
Choose the Right Synonym for bag

catch, capture, trap, snare, entrap, ensnare, bag mean to come to possess or control by or as if by seizing.

catch implies the seizing of something in motion or in flight or in hiding.

caught the dog as it ran by

capture suggests taking by overcoming resistance or difficulty.

capture an enemy stronghold

trap, snare, entrap, ensnare imply seizing by some device that holds the one caught at the mercy of the captor.

trap and snare apply more commonly to physical seizing.

trap animals
snared butterflies with a net

entrap and ensnare more often are figurative.

entrapped the witness with a trick question
a sting operation that ensnared burglars

bag implies shooting down a fleeing or distant prey.

bagged a brace of pheasants

Examples of bag in a Sentence

Noun She packed her lunch in a paper bag. She put the pencil in her bag. a tired old man with bags under his eyes Verb He got a job bagging groceries. The hunters bagged five deer altogether. We bagged 10 fish today. She's expected to bag the award for the team's most valuable player. I bagged the last seat so everyone else had to stand.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
State of play: The Department of Education has been a punching bag for Republicans for decades. Ivana Saric, Axios, 20 Nov. 2024 In late March, developers gave a bag of $3,000 in cash to Lee, then a member of the City Council, according to the indictment. Bracey Harris, NBC News, 14 Nov. 2024
Verb
Austin’s downtown music scene bagged a big win last week when Austin City Council passed a resolution granting $150,000 funding annually to the Red River Cultural District for the next four years. Mars Salazar, Austin American-Statesman, 13 Nov. 2024 Yet, the Editorial Board bags on the huge, successful event. Letters To The Editor, Orange County Register, 30 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for bag 

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English bagge, from Old Norse baggi

Verb

Middle English baggen, verbal derivative of bagge bag entry 1

First Known Use

Noun

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of bag was in the 13th century

Dictionary Entries Near bag

Cite this Entry

“Bag.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bag. Accessed 24 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

bag

1 of 2 noun
1
a
: a container made of flexible material (as paper or plastic)
c
2
a
: a pouched or hanging bodily part or organ (as an udder)
also : a puffy sagging area of loose skin
bags under the eyes
b
: a puffed-out sag or bulge in cloth
c
: a square white stuffed canvas container that marks a base in baseball
3
: the amount contained in a bag
4
: a quantity of game taken or permitted to be taken

bag

2 of 2 verb
bagged; bagging
1
: to swell out
pants bag at the knees
2
: to put into a bag
bagging groceries
3
: to kill or capture in hunting
the hunter bagged a deer

Medical Definition

bag

1 of 2 noun
ˈbag
1
: a pouched or pendulous bodily part or organ
especially : udder
2
: a puffy or sagging protuberance of flabby skin
an aging face with bags below the eyes

bag

2 of 2 transitive verb
bagged; bagging
: to ventilate the lungs of (a patient) using a hand-squeezed bag attached to a face mask
I asked the respiratory therapist to continue bagging and assisting the patient while I sought the family's permission not to proceed with intubation.Malinda H. Bell, The Journal of the American Medical Association

More from Merriam-Webster on bag

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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