haversack
pronunciation
How to pronounce haversack in British English:
UK [ˈhævəsæk]
How to pronounce haversack in American English:
US [ˈhævərsæk]
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- Noun:
- a bag carried by a strap on your back or shoulder
Word Origin
- haversack
- haversack: [18] Etymologically, a haversack is a ‘bag for oats’. The word comes via French havresac from German habersack, a compound formed from the now dialectal haber ‘oats’ and sack ‘bag’. This denoted originally a bag used in the army for feeding oats to horses, but by the time it reached English it had broadened out to a ‘bag for soldiers’ provisions’, carried over the shoulders (northern dialects of English, incidentally, had the term haver for ‘oats’, probably borrowed from Old Norse hafri, and related forms are still widespread among the Germanic languages, including German hafer, Dutch haver, and Swedish and Danish havre.It has been speculated that the word is related to Latin caper and Old Norse hafr ‘goat’, in which case it would mean etymologically ‘goat’s food’).
- haversack (n.)
- 1735, from French havresac (1670s), from Low German hafersach "cavalry trooper's bag for horse provender," literally "oat sack," from the common Germanic word for "oat" (see haver (n.1)) + sack (n.1).
Example
- 1. A dictionary in his haversack stopped a bullet in his back .
- 2. What should I backpack with me -- a purse , a attache , a haversack ?
- 3. You take the haversack , I 'll search his pockets .
- 4. The oddest thing was that she wasn 't worrying , although she knew she ought to be ; especially when they made plans to keep the shopkeeper talking while she , jane , slipped bottles of whatever alcohol she could get into their canvas haversack .