backpack

[bak-pak] /ˈbækˌpæk/
noun
1.
a pack or knapsack, often of canvas or nylon, to be carried on one's back, sometimes supported on a lightweight metal frame strapped to the body.
2.
a piece of equipment designed to be used while being carried on the back.
verb (used without object)
3.
to go on a hike, using a backpack:
We went backpacking in the Adirondacks.
verb (used with object)
4.
to place or carry in a backpack or on one's back.
Origin
1910-15, Americanism; back1 + pack1
Related forms
backpacker, noun
Examples from the web for backpack
  • He jumped from the plane with a machine gun in his hands and a tuxedo in his backpack.
  • Wearers' feet go into boots attached to a series of metal tubes that run up a leg to a backpack.
  • The device transfers the backpack's payload from the back of the wearer to the ground.
  • The whole thing is small enough to fit into a small backpack and can run on batteries as well as on the mains.
  • The backpack you see above, though, is not a failure.
  • Choosing between the red and blue backpack shouldn't be.
  • Swans adorned her bejeweled velvet backpack, as they do nearly every accessory she has.
  • He bathed and put a couple of shirts in his backpack.
  • It might cool your head, but if it means carrying a backpack of batteries and aluminum fins on your head.
  • Scientists have invented a backpack that creates enough electricity to power seven portable gadgets at once.
British Dictionary definitions for backpack

backpack

/ˈbækˌpæk/
noun
1.
a rucksack or knapsack
2.
a pack carried on the back of an astronaut, containing oxygen cylinders, essential supplies, etc
verb
3.
(intransitive) to travel about or go hiking with a backpack
4.
(transitive) to transport (food or equipment) by backpack
Derived Forms
backpacker, noun
backpacking, noun
Word Origin and History for backpack

1914 as a noun, 1916 as a verb, from back (n.) + pack (n.). Related: Backpacked; backpacking.