English Reference
noun · verb

suitcase

n. · v.
US /ˈsutˌkeɪs/ UK /sˈuːtkeɪs/ suit·case UK spelling suitcase's, suitcase's

  1. 01 A2 Elementary

    n.a large, rectangular bag with a handle used for carrying clothes and personal items when you travel.

    n.a portable rectangular container with a handle, typically used for carrying garments and personal belongings during transit.

    Simple

    She packed her heavy winter coats into a large suitcase for the trip to Canada.

    In context

    The airline passenger was forced to pay an additional fee because his suitcase exceeded the maximum weight limit for checked baggage.

  2. 02 C2 Proficiency Technical Computing

    n.a special type of file on older Apple computers that held things like fonts and sounds.

    n.a resource file format in legacy Macintosh operating systems used to store and manage fonts, desk accessories, or sound clips.

    Simple

    In the old days of Mac OS, you had to drag the font suitcase into the System Folder.

    In context

    The designer struggled to open the legacy suitcase files, as the modern operating system no longer natively supported that specific font container format.

    resource file
  3. 03 C2 Proficiency SlangVulgar

    v.to hide something inside your body to move it secretly and illegally.

    v.to smuggle contraband by concealing it within a body cavity, specifically the rectum.

    Simple

    The guards were trained to spot people trying to suitcase drugs into the prison.

    In context

    The informant warned the authorities that the syndicate was forcing couriers to suitcase high-value diamonds across the border to avoid detection by scanners.

  4. 04 C2 Proficiency Archaic

    v.to travel and sell products using only the samples you can carry in a bag.

    v.to conduct commercial trade or sales demonstrations using only the samples contained within a portable case.

    Simple

    He spent years suitcasing his inventions from town to town before he found a buyer.

    In context

    In the early twentieth century, many independent salesmen made a living suitcasing textiles to remote villages that lacked permanent retail stores.


From suit + case.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This entry
Level A2 · Elementary
Frequency Frequent
Updated