Baggage Meaning
/ˈbæɡɪd͡ʒ/Definition, CEFR level B1, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
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Definition
nounPortable cases, large bags, and similar equipment for manually carrying, pushing, or pulling personal items while traveling
nounFactors, especially psychological ones, which interfere with a person's ability to function effectively.
Sentence Examples
Kyoko had the kindness to carry my baggage for me.
I hope this makes it through baggage inspection.
Synonyms & Antonyms
Synonyms:
Antonyms:
None
CEFR Practice Quiz
He struggled to carry all his heavy ____ through the crowded airport terminal alone.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
Please make sure to collect all your ____ at the airport carousel.
Word Origin & History
From Middle English bagage, from Old French bagage, baguage, from bague (“bundle, sack”), of Germanic/North Germanic origin, probably from the same ultimate source as Old Norse baggi (“pack, bundle”). Compare also bag. By surface analysis, bag + -age. The old meaning of "nasty woman" likely derives from the sense of "something awkward to be carried" (compare faggot).
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"As soon as they had determined on their course, Ya-nei slid under the bed, and made himself a place among the baggages."
— 1929, Charles Georges Souli, Eastern Shame Girl:
"Needless to say, one's seat must be booked in advance and a platoon of urbane officials, one to each door of the train, awaits passengers to usher them to their seats and relieve them of their bulkier baggage."
— 1960 March, G. Freeman Allen, “Europe's most luxurious express - the "Settebello"”, in Trains Illustrated, page 140:
"Alone, she clings to her baggages on the street."
— 1991 September 20, Jonathan Rosenbaum, “Love Films: A Cassavetes Retrospective”, in Chicago Reader:
"The audacious hijacking in Paris of a van carrying the baggage of a Saudi prince to his private jet is obviously an embarrassment to the French capital, whose ultra-high-end boutiques have suffered a spate of heists in recent months."
— 2014 August 21, “A brazen heist in Paris [print version: International New York Times, 22 August 2014, p. 8]”, in The New York Times:
"[…]How much shall I honour one, who has a stronger propensity to poetry, and has got a greater name in it, if he performs his promise to me of putting away these idle baggages after his sacred espousal."
— 1846, Henry Francis Cary, Lives of the English Poets:
Explore More B1 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
He struggled to carry all his heavy ____ through the crowded airport terminal alone.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
Please make sure to collect all your ____ at the airport carousel.