Definition of HANDBAG

handbag

Plural: handbags

Noun

  • A small bag, often with a handle or strap, used for carrying personal items.
  • a container used for carrying money and small personal items or accessories (especially by women)
  • A small bag carried in the hand, used either when travelling or to carry tools for a specific job.
  • A small bag used chiefly by women for carrying various small personal items, sometimes considered as a fashion accessory.
  • Ellipsis of handbag house.

Verb

  • To attack verbally or subject to criticism (typically used of a woman).

Examples

  • She dug through her metaphorical HANDBAG of letters, searching for a high-scoring word.

Origin / Etymology

From hand + bag. The music genre is named from women dancing around a pile of their handbags in nightclubs. The verb is a reference to Margaret Thatcher's handbag.

Synonyms

bag, pocketbook, purse

Scrabble Score: 14

handbag: valid Scrabble (US) TWL Word
handbag: valid Scrabble Word in Merriam-Webster MW Dictionary
handbag: valid Scrabble Word in International Collins CSW Dictionary

Words With Friends Score: 16

handbag: valid Words With Friends Word