Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun A bag made of sturdy material and furnished with shoulder straps, designed for carrying articles on the back.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun A case or bag of leather or strong cloth for carrying a soldier's necessaries, closely strapped to the back between the shoulders; hence, any case or bag for similar use.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun A case of canvas, leather, nylon, or other sturdy fabric, fitted with straps, for carrying on the back the food, clothing, or other supplies for a soldier or a traveler.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun US A case of canvas or leather, for carrying items on the back.
  • verb To go hiking while burdened with a knapsack, usually overnight (or longer.)

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun a bag carried by a strap on your back or shoulder

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Probably Low German Knappsack : knappen, to bite (probably of imitative origin) + Sack, bag (from Middle Low German sak, from Old High German sac, from Late Latin saccus; see sack).]

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