What does handbag mean?
A handbag is a portable personal bag with a handle or shoulder strap, used to carry personal belongings such as a wallet, phone, keys, and cosmetics. It is a general term in British and American English, although purse is a common alternative in American usage. A handbag is often associated with women's accessories, but the word itself is not restricted by gender or formality. Typical examples include leather shoulder bags, compact evening bags, and larger tote-style handbags. In conversation, carry a handbag and open one's handbag are natural patterns; handbag also functions as an informal verb chiefly in British English, meaning to hit someone with a handbag. The term is useful because it names the object without the regional and size distinctions associated with purse and without implying a particular material or style. It remains a clear, widely understood label for a bag carried close to the body.
A portable personal bag with a handle or shoulder strap, used to carry belongings such as a wallet, keys, phone, or cosmetics.
"She left her handbag on the back of a chair."
Standard in British and American English; in American usage it overlaps with purse.
To hit someone with a handbag.
"In the slapstick sketch, one performer tries to handbag another with a prop handbag."
Chiefly British, informal, and often humorous or exaggerated.
The standard plural is formed by adding -s.
"Several colorful handbags were displayed on the shop counter."
In British informal slang, to “handbag” someone means to hit them with a handbag—a refreshingly literal piece of vocabulary.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does handbag come from?
Handbag is a compound formed in English from hand and bag. The elements have Germanic origins: hand continues Old English hand, while bag was borrowed from Old Norse baggi. The compound is recorded from the early 20th century, while related English formations from the hand root include handy and handle.
How handbag is actually used
The noun is neutral in register and commonly used in everyday, commercial, and editorial contexts. The verb is chiefly British and informal, often humorous or exaggerated.
Easily confused with handbag
In American English, purse is often a synonym for handbag, while in British English it more commonly denotes a small pouch for coins or a wallet.