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Meaning & use

knapsack

noun·Academicold-fashioned

Last updated

UK/ˈnæpsæk/
US/ˈnæpsæk/

Meanings

  1. nouncountableold-fashioned

    A simple bag with shoulder straps, worn on the back to carry clothes, food or tools, especially on a march or hike.

    Grammar: Countable: a knapsack, two knapsacks.

    Patterns

    • carry a knapsack
    • in a knapsack

    The soldier slung his knapsack over one shoulder.

    She packed bread and a flask in her knapsack.

    The hikers rested and took off their heavy knapsacks.

  2. nouncountablecomputingmathematics

    In mathematics and computing, the knapsack problem, a puzzle of choosing items of different weights and values to fit a limit.

    Grammar: Usually in the phrase knapsack problem.

    Patterns

    • the knapsack problem

    The class studied the knapsack problem in an algorithms course.

    Packing for a trip is a real-life knapsack problem.

    The knapsack puzzle asks how to choose the most valuable items within a weight limit.

Word forms

pluralknapsacks

Common combinations

canvas knapsack
He carried his lunch in a canvas knapsack.
sling a knapsack
She slung the knapsack over her shoulder and set off.
pack a knapsack
They packed a knapsack with food for the day.
knapsack problem
The knapsack problem is a classic puzzle in computer science.
heavy knapsack
The heavy knapsack made the climb harder.

Synonyms and how they differ

backpack
Backpack is the usual modern word and often implies a frame or many pockets, while knapsack sounds simple and old-fashioned.
rucksack
Rucksack is the British word for a hiker's pack, more common there than knapsack.
satchel
A satchel is usually a smaller bag with a single shoulder strap, often for books.
haversack
A haversack is an older word for a bag carried over one shoulder, particularly by soldiers.

Word family

backpack noun
the modern everyday word
sack noun
a large bag
knapsack problem noun
a famous optimization puzzle
snack noun
related only through the old Dutch word for food

Commonly confused: knapsack or napkin? knapsack or nap sack?

knapsack vs napkin

A napkin is a cloth or paper for the table; it only sounds similar to the first part of knapsack.

knapsack vs nap sack

This is a mistaken spelling; the correct word starts with a silent k.

Practice

The k in knapsack is silent. How is the word pronounced?

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