: a bag (as of canvas or nylon) strapped on the back and used for carrying supplies or personal belongings : backpacksense 1a(2)
But the 12-year-olds were dumping landslides of books into knapsacks and getting ready to leave, and all I could do was follow them out through the turnstiles and into the start of another summer. Meg Wolitzer
He had a Polaroid camera around his neck and a knapsack on his back. Brian Selznick
grabbed my knapsack from the hook and ran to catch my ride
Recent Examples on the WebThe following is a knapsack full of ideas to tote along to your next camping trip, music festival, remote cabin or RV park. Marc Saltzman, USA TODAY, 3 Sep. 2022 For example, Mklas encryption, Merkle hash, three signatures, Merkle-Hellman knapsack encryption and Bushman Williams classmate encryption are the new quantum cryptographic algorithms. Bhagvan Kommadi, Forbes, 3 Aug. 2022 Acceptable quantities of pot to now order are ounce, gram, cup, litre, bushel, pallet, thermos, knapsack, mouthful, bathtub, chimney, and hammock. Choose your method. Sarah Hutto, The New Yorker, 17 May 2022 Angered by the swindle, the tourists snatched the knapsack of the deal’s alleged go-between and demanded their money back in exchange for returning the bag, with the go-between’s cell phone inside, the prosecution alleged.NBC News, 18 Mar. 2022 Angered by the swindle, the tourists snatched the knapsack of the deal's alleged go-between and demanded their money back in exchange for returning the bag, with the go-between's cell phone inside, the prosecution alleged. Frances D'emilio, USA TODAY, 17 Mar. 2022 Parts of the skeleton's armor, along with weapons and a leather knapsack, survived nearly 2,000 years of burial. Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 2 Dec. 2021 These delicacies—wild-cherry-and-rhubarb pasties, plump whortleberry pies, potato-and-mushroom turnovers—make an appearance at every feast, and in every traveller’s knapsack. Ruby Tandoh, The New Yorker, 19 Nov. 2021 The gentleman with the big mustache and the turquoise knapsack walks by and looks at you again. Emma Rathbone, The New Yorker, 14 Oct. 2021 See More
Word History
Etymology
Low German knappsack or Dutch knapzak, from Low German & Dutch knappen to make a snapping noise, eat + Low German sack or Dutch zak sack