# bag

/ˈbæɡ/ (US) · /bˈæɡ/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/bag
Updated: 2026-08-15

## Senses

### 1. flexible container

noun · CEFR A1

a container made of thin material like paper, plastic, or cloth used to carry things.

For teachers: a flexible container with an opening at the top, typically made of paper, plastic, or fabric, used for carrying or storing goods.

- He carried the heavy groceries home in a large paper bag.
- The supermarket has transitioned to biodegradable bags to reduce the environmental impact of single-use plastics.

### 2. handbag or travel bag

noun · CEFR A1

a stronger container with handles used for personal items or travel.

For teachers: a durable container, often with handles or straps, designed for personal belongings or luggage.

- She realized she had left her bag on the bus this morning.
- The traveler checked his bag at the counter before proceeding through security to the departure gate.

### 3. skin under eyes

noun · CEFR B2

puffy or dark skin under your eyes, usually because you are tired.

For teachers: loose or puffy skin under the eyes, typically associated with exhaustion or aging. Usually plural.

- He had dark bags under his eyes after staying up all night.
- Chronic sleep deprivation often manifests physically as prominent bags under the eyes and a generally sallow complexion.

### 4. a large amount

noun · CEFR B2 · British English · Informal

a lot of something.

For teachers: a large quantity or abundance of something. Often used in the plural 'bags of'.

- Don't worry about the snacks; we have bags of crisps in the kitchen.
- The young candidate has bags of enthusiasm, though he lacks the professional experience required for such a senior role.

### 5. personal preference

noun · CEFR C1 · Informal

the kind of thing that you like or are interested in.

For teachers: an individual's particular area of interest, expertise, or preference.

- I'm not going to the jazz club; it's just not my bag.
- While some enjoy the technicalities of tax law, it was never really his bag, so he moved into criminal defense instead.

### 6. mathematical collection

noun · CEFR C2 · Technical

a group of things where the same item can appear more than once.

For teachers: a collection of objects in which the order does not matter but elements may be repeated.

- In this math problem, we treat the group of numbers as a bag.
- Unlike a standard set, a bag allows for multiple instances of the same value, which is useful for certain computational algorithms.

### 7. to put in a bag

verb · CEFR A2

to put things into a bag.

For teachers: to place items into a bag for transport or sale.

- The clerk helped her bag the groceries at the checkout.
- After the harvest, the workers spent the afternoon bagging the potatoes for distribution to local markets.

### 8. to catch or claim

verb · CEFR B1 · Informal

to succeed in getting or catching something before anyone else.

For teachers: to succeed in securing, catching, or claiming something, often through quick action.

- I managed to bag a seat right at the front of the bus.
- The company managed to bag a lucrative contract with the government despite stiff competition from larger firms.

### 9. to criticize

verb · CEFR C1 · Slang · Dialect

to say mean or critical things about someone.

For teachers: to criticize or mock someone in a harsh or sarcastic manner.

- Stop bagging him just because he made one small mistake.
- The local press spent the entire week bagging the team's performance after their unexpected loss in the finals.

Teaching tip: This sense is specific to Australian and New Zealand English; learners should use 'criticize' in other regions.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.