Meanings
nounman-bag (plural man-bags)
plural man-bags · alternative man bag · alternative manbag
- The equivalent of a woman's small handbag designed for use by men, having compartments for mobile phones, etc.
Unisex styling gave the ‘man-bag’ its brief moment and many rough hewn embroidered denim and handtooled leather shoulder bags were worn by both sexes.
2005, Valerie Steele, Encyclopedia of Clothing and Fashion
Synonyms & antonyms
nounThe equivalent of a woman's small handbag designed for use by men, having compartments for mobile phones, etc.
Origin
From man + bag, influenced by (punning on) handbag.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
German Herrenhandtasche
- Herrenhandtaschesmall bag used by men
Russian борсе́тка, барсе́тка
- борсе́тка (borsétka)small bag used by men
- барсе́тка (barsétka)small bag used by men
- мужска́я су́мочка (mužskája súmočka)small bag used by men
Swedish herrväska, bögslunga
- herrväskasmall bag used by men
- bögslungasmall bag used by men
Cite this entry
APA
man-bag. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/man-bag
MLA
“man-bag.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/man-bag. Accessed November 3, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “man-bag,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/man-bag.
Source: man-bag on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.