Meaning & use
bindle
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Meaning
nouncountableold-fashioned
A small bundle of clothes and belongings tied in a cloth, often carried on a stick over the shoulder.
Grammar: Countable; plural is bindles.
Patterns
- carry a bindle
- a bindle of clothes
The traveler carried a bindle over his shoulder.
She packed a bindle with a few clothes and a blanket.
Word forms
| plural | bindles |
|---|
Common combinations
- carry a bindle
- In old films, hobos are often shown carrying a bindle.
- a bindle of belongings
- He had a bindle of belongings tied to a stick.
- bindle stiff
- The term 'bindle stiff' was used for a traveling worker in the early 20th century.
Synonyms and how they differ
Commonly confused: bindle or bundle?
bindle vs bundle
A bundle is any collection of things tied together; a bindle is a particular type of bundle carried on a stick, and the word is much rarer.
Practice
In the old photograph, the man is carrying a _____ over his shoulder.
Choose one answer.
A 'bindle' is the specific word for a cloth bundle carried on a stick. 'Bundle' is more general, 'binder' is a folder or machine, and 'binding' is a book cover or a verb form.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “bindle”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.