What does pannier mean?
A pannier is a basket, bag, or container used for carrying items. Traditionally, panniers were woven baskets carried over the shoulder or on the back, often by shoppers, travelers, or people bringing goods to market. The word is now especially common for the bags mounted beside the wheels of bicycles and motorcycles, where they carry shopping, camping equipment, or other belongings. Although a pannier can be made from wicker or another woven material, modern examples are commonly constructed from fabric, leather, or waterproof synthetic materials. The term has a practical, slightly old-fashioned character in descriptions of traditional baskets, while its cycling and motorcycling uses are familiar and distinctly contemporary.
nounA basket or bag, usually made of woven material, used for carrying things. The term also refers to a bag or container attached to the side of a bicycle or motorcycle.
- A basket or bag carried on the back, over one shoulder, or attached to a bicycle or motorcycle.
- A small basket used to carry food or provisions.
- A bag or container attached to the side of a bicycle or motorcycle for carrying luggage or goods.
"She hung the shopping basket over her shoulder and carried her pannier on the bicycle."
"The vendor filled her pannier with apples and fresh bread."
"He secured his camping equipment in the motorcycle panniers before the journey."
Usually used in the plural when referring to the containers attached to the sides of a bicycle or motorcycle.
"She placed her lunch and water bottle in the panniers."
The same word for a traditional basket has become part of the modern language of cycling and motorcycling.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does pannier come from?
The English word entered Middle English from French panier, a word that continues in modern French. Old French panier developed from a Vulgar Latin form meaning a bread basket, ultimately associated with Latin panis, “bread.” The English spelling pannier reflects the form used in Middle English and remains the standard spelling in both British and American English.
How pannier is actually used
In contemporary British and American English, pannier most often refers to a bicycle or motorcycle carrier. The older sense of a basket carried by a person remains in literary and historical contexts.
Easily confused with pannier
Pannier is the standard English spelling; panier is the modern French word for a basket and is not ordinarily used as an English noun.