luggage

English

Etymology

1590s, lug (to drag) + -age, literally “that which is lugged, dragged around”.[1] Duplicate -g- is to clarify pronunciation of the vowel ‘u’ (which is pronounced unchanged from lug). Compare baggage.

Pronunciation

  • (UK, US) enPR: lŭg'ĭj, IPA(key): /ˈlʌɡɪd͡ʒ/
    • (file)
  • Rhymes: -ʌɡɪdʒ
  • Hyphenation: lug‧gage

Noun

luggage (usually uncountable, plural luggages)

A man carrying his luggage (1).
  1. (uncountable) The bags and other containers that hold a traveller's belongings.
  2. (uncountable) The contents of such containers.
  3. (countable, nonstandard or obsolete) A specific bag or container holding a traveller's belongings.
    • 1858, “Letter from Rev. George L. Seymour”, in The African Repository and Colonial Journal, volume 34, page 13:
      I assisted some time ago in cutting up a tree, that made tolerably good turns or luggage for nineteen or twenty persons, which could be procured for about two dollars at the stump.
    • 1875, W. G. Willson, Report of the Midnapore and Burdwan Cyclone of the 15th and 16th of October 1874:
      The passengers injured who could not get out were removed out by the railway staff, and then taking part of the luggage the train started back for Burdwan.
    • 1964 [1957], Colin MacInnes, City of Spades, London: Penguin Books, page 15:
      Namely, leaving my luggages at the Government hostel, to go straight out by taxi (oh, so slow, compared with our sleek Lagos limousines!) to the famous central Piccadilly Tube station where I took a onestop ticket, went down on the escalator, and then ran up the same steps in the wrong direction.

Synonyms

Derived terms

Translations

References

  1. Douglas Harper (2001–2024) “luggage”, in Online Etymology Dictionary.
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