plural backpacks
1
a
: a pack (see pack entry 1 sense 1a) that usually has two shoulder straps and is carried on the back: such as
(1)
: a large pack (as of canvas or nylon) that is supported by an external or internal frame (as of aluminum) and is used especially for carrying supplies when hiking and camping
The logistics of the trip required that I carry all my stuff in a backpack. Since I didn't want to lug too heavy a load on the hiking leg of the trip, I pared way down.—
Daisann McLane
Daisann McLane
(2)
: a bag or small pack (as of canvas, polyester, or nylon) used for carrying personal belongings or supplies : knapsack
I rode my bicycle to the market and rode home with my backpack full of exotic lettuces and basil-garlic baguettes.—Meredith Maran
Meredith MaranEach morning, tens of thousands of moms load phones, along with homework, into the backpacks of schoolchildren.—Michael Specter
Michael Specter
b
: a load carried on the back
2
: a piece of equipment designed for use while being carried on the back
By wearing a jet-propelled "space backpack," astronauts will be able to move freely in space, making it possible to build, repair, and maintain craft in orbit …—Business Week
Business WeekI'm soaring above the central Sahara in a powered paraglider, a single-seat aircraft that looks like a flying lawn chair. Developed in France, it combines an inflated, parachute-like wing with a 50-pound motorized backpack.—George Steinmetz
George Steinmetz
backpacked; backpacking; backpacks
: to carry (food or equipment) on the back especially in hiking
: to hike with a backpack
backpacker
noun
Examples of backpack in a Sentence
Noun
stuffed her backpack with so many books that she could barely walk
Verb
After college, she backpacked through Europe.
We're planning to go backpacking in a national park this summer.
Recent Examples on the Web
Landon Mion, FOXNews.com, 9 Apr. 2025
The child didn't intentionally fire it but accidentally set it off when reaching into the backpack, the sheriff's office said.
—Charles Ventura, USA Today, 9 Apr. 2025
Kristine Thomason, Travel + Leisure, 13 Apr. 2025
The now 27-year-old was paid nearly $20,000 to travel across Europe to produce a web series called Hostels Around The World about his backpacking escapades.
—Alexandra York, Forbes.com, 11 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for backpack
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Noun
The child had found an unsecured handgun in his home and put the gun into his backpack before going to school at Lee Hill Elementary School in Spotsylvania County on Monday, the Spotsylvania County Sheriff's Office said in a press release.
—Landon Mion, FOXNews.com, 9 Apr. 2025
The child didn't intentionally fire it but accidentally set it off when reaching into the backpack, the sheriff's office said.
—Charles Ventura, USA Today, 9 Apr. 2025
Verb
My plan was to spend two months traversing Europe in a classic post-college backpacking extravaganza, and then meet up with my mom for the last two weeks of the trip.
—Kristine Thomason, Travel + Leisure, 13 Apr. 2025
The now 27-year-old was paid nearly $20,000 to travel across Europe to produce a web series called Hostels Around The World about his backpacking escapades.
—Alexandra York, Forbes.com, 11 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for backpack
Cite this Entry
“Backpack.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/backpack. Accessed 18 Apr. 2025.
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