Meaning & use

knapsack

noun·Academic

A bag with straps, carried on the back, used to hold personal belongings.

See it in a sentence

He packed his knapsack with water, snacks, and a map before the hike.

The soldier's knapsack held everything he needed for a week in the field.

A note on using this word

Knapsack is somewhat old-fashioned in everyday American English, where 'backpack' is now the more common word.

Words with a similar meaning

backpackrucksack

Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

Make it your own

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