noun · verb · 7 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
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/ˈbæk.pæk/
UK:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
CMU ARPABET:B AE1 K P AE2 K
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
noun
Meaning 1
A knapsack, sometimes mounted on a light frame, but always supported by straps, worn on a person’s back for the purpose of carrying things, especially when hiking, or on a student's back when carrying books.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
noun
Meaning 2
A similarly placed item containing a parachute or other life support equipment.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
verb
Meaning 3
To hike and camp overnight in backcountry with one's gear carried in a backpack.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: intransitive
Examples
I spent a month backpacking in the Rockies.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
verb
Meaning 4
To engage in low-cost, generally urban, travel with minimal luggage and frugal accommodation.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: intransitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
5
verb
Meaning 5
To place or carry (an item or items) in a backpack.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: rare, transitive
Examples
Astronauts backpack oxygen during spacewalks.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
6
noun
Meaning 6
a bag carried by a strap on your back or shoulder
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: back pack, knapsack, packsack, rucksack, haversack
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: bag
Narrower terms: kitbag, kit bag
7
verb
Meaning 7
hike with a backpack
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
Every summer they are backpacking in the Rockies
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: pack
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: hike
History
Etymology
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *bheg-der.? Proto-Germanic *baką Proto-West Germanic *bak Old English bæc Middle English bak English back Proto-Germanic *pakkô Proto-West Germanic *pakkō Old English *pæcca? ▲ Proto-West Germanic *pakkō Old Dutch *pakko Middle Dutch pakbor.? Middle English pak English pack English backpack From back + pack.
Across languages
Translations
151 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Afrikaans:
rugsak
— worn on a person's back, e.g., for hiking
Albanian:
çantë
— worn on a person's back, e.g., for hiking
Albanian:
marr në sup
— worn on a person's back, e.g., for hiking
Arabic:
حَقِيبَة ظَهْر
(ḥaqībat ẓahr)
— worn on a person's back, e.g., for hiking
Armenian:
ուղեպարկ
(uġepark)
— worn on a person's back, e.g., for hiking
Armenian:
ուսապարկ
(usapark)
— worn on a person's back, e.g., for hiking
Asturian:
mochila
— worn on a person's back, e.g., for hiking
Azerbaijani:
arxa çantası
— worn on a person's back, e.g., for hiking
Azerbaijani:
bel çantası
— worn on a person's back, e.g., for hiking
Basque:
bizkar-zorro
— worn on a person's back, e.g., for hiking
Basque:
motxila
— worn on a person's back, e.g., for hiking
Belarusian:
рукза́к
(rukzák)
— worn on a person's back, e.g., for hiking
Belarusian:
ра́нец
(ránjec)
— worn on a person's back, e.g., for hiking
Belarusian:
запле́чнік
(zapljéčnik)
— worn on a person's back, e.g., for hiking
Bengali:
ব্যাকপ্যাক
(bêkoppak)
— worn on a person's back, e.g., for hiking
Bulgarian:
ра́ница
(ránica)
— worn on a person's back, e.g., for hiking
Burmese:
ကျောပိုးအိတ်
(kyau:pui:it)
— worn on a person's back, e.g., for hiking
Catalan:
motxilla
— worn on a person's back, e.g., for hiking
Catalan:
bossa d'esquena
— worn on a person's back, e.g., for hiking
Chinese Cantonese:
背囊
(bui3 nong4)
— worn on a person's back, e.g., for hiking
Chinese:
быйбо
(bɨybo)
— worn on a person's back, e.g., for hiking
Chinese:
被包
(phōe-pau / phē-pau)
— worn on a person's back, e.g., for hiking
Chinese Mandarin:
背包
(bēibāo)
— worn on a person's back, e.g., for hiking
Chinese Mandarin:
背囊
(bēináng)
— worn on a person's back, e.g., for hiking
Wu Chinese:
背包
(5pe-pau)
— worn on a person's back, e.g., for hiking
Czech:
batoh
— worn on a person's back, e.g., for hiking
Czech:
ruksak
— worn on a person's back, e.g., for hiking
Danish:
rygsæk
— worn on a person's back, e.g., for hiking
Dutch:
rugzak
— worn on a person's back, e.g., for hiking
Elfdalian:
bög
— worn on a person's back, e.g., for hiking
Erzya:
лавтовкескал
(lavtovkeskal)
— worn on a person's back, e.g., for hiking
Esperanto:
dorsosako
— worn on a person's back, e.g., for hiking
Esperanto:
tornistro
— worn on a person's back, e.g., for hiking
Estonian:
seljakott
— worn on a person's back, e.g., for hiking
Estonian:
ranits
— worn on a person's back, e.g., for hiking
Faroese:
ryggsekkur
— worn on a person's back, e.g., for hiking
Finnish:
reppu
— worn on a person's back, e.g., for hiking
Finnish:
selkäreppu
— worn on a person's back, e.g., for hiking
Finnish:
rinkka
— worn on a person's back, e.g., for hiking
French:
sac à dos
— worn on a person's back, e.g., for hiking
French:
cabas
— worn on a person's back, e.g., for hiking
West-Frisian:
rêchsek
— worn on a person's back, e.g., for hiking
Friulian:
persac
— worn on a person's back, e.g., for hiking
Galician:
mochila
— worn on a person's back, e.g., for hiking
Georgian:
ზურგჩანთა
(zurgčanta)
— worn on a person's back, e.g., for hiking
German:
Rucksack
— worn on a person's back, e.g., for hiking
Greek:
σακίδιο
(sakídio)
— worn on a person's back, e.g., for hiking
Ancient Greek:
γυλιός
(guliós)
— worn on a person's back, e.g., for hiking
Greenlandic:
nammattagaq
— worn on a person's back, e.g., for hiking
Gujarati:
દફતર
(daphtar)
— worn on a person's back, e.g., for hiking
Hawaiian:
pāiki hāʻawe
— worn on a person's back, e.g., for hiking
Hebrew:
יַלְקוּט
(yalkút)
— worn on a person's back, e.g., for hiking
Hebrew:
תַּרְמִיל
(tarmíl)
— worn on a person's back, e.g., for hiking
Hebrew:
תִּיק גַּב
(tik gav)
— worn on a person's back, e.g., for hiking
Hindi:
बैकपैक
(baikpaik)
— worn on a person's back, e.g., for hiking
Hungarian:
hátizsák
— worn on a person's back, e.g., for hiking
Icelandic:
bakpoki
— worn on a person's back, e.g., for hiking
Ido:
dorsosako
— worn on a person's back, e.g., for hiking
Indonesian:
ransel
— worn on a person's back, e.g., for hiking
Indonesian:
tas punggung
— worn on a person's back, e.g., for hiking
Ingrian:
rantsa
— worn on a person's back, e.g., for hiking
Irish:
mála droma
— worn on a person's back, e.g., for hiking
Italian:
zaino
— worn on a person's back, e.g., for hiking
Japanese:
リュック
(ryukku)
— worn on a person's back, e.g., for hiking
Japanese:
リュックサック
(ryukkusakku)
— worn on a person's back, e.g., for hiking
Japanese:
バックパック
(bakkupakku)
— worn on a person's back, e.g., for hiking
Kazakh:
рюкзак
(rükzak)
— worn on a person's back, e.g., for hiking
Kazakh:
жолдорба
(joldorba)
— worn on a person's back, e.g., for hiking
Kazakh:
арқақап
(arqaqap)
— worn on a person's back, e.g., for hiking
Khmer:
សាកាដូ
(saakaadou)
— worn on a person's back, e.g., for hiking
Korean:
배낭
(baenang)
— worn on a person's back, e.g., for hiking
Korean:
륙색
(ryuksaek)
— worn on a person's back, e.g., for hiking
Korean:
백팩
(baekpaek)
— worn on a person's back, e.g., for hiking
Central Kurdish:
جانتای پشت
(cantay pişt)
— worn on a person's back, e.g., for hiking
Kyrgyz:
рюкзак
(ryukzak)
— worn on a person's back, e.g., for hiking
Kyrgyz:
жонбаштык
(jonbaştık)
— worn on a person's back, e.g., for hiking
Lao:
ບາໂລ
(bā lō)
— worn on a person's back, e.g., for hiking
Lao:
ຖົງເປ້
(thong pē)
— worn on a person's back, e.g., for hiking
Latin:
sacculus
— worn on a person's back, e.g., for hiking
Latin:
sacciperium dorsale
— worn on a person's back, e.g., for hiking
Latvian:
mugursoma
— worn on a person's back, e.g., for hiking
Lithuanian:
kuprinė
— worn on a person's back, e.g., for hiking
Luxembourgish:
Rucksak
— worn on a person's back, e.g., for hiking
Macedonian:
ра́нец
(ránec)
— worn on a person's back, e.g., for hiking
Malay:
ransel
— worn on a person's back, e.g., for hiking
Malay:
beg galas
— worn on a person's back, e.g., for hiking
Māori:
pīkaunga
— worn on a person's back, e.g., for hiking
Mongolian:
үүргэвч
(üürgevč)
— worn on a person's back, e.g., for hiking
Navajo:
azis bee naʼaljidí
— worn on a person's back, e.g., for hiking
Norwegian Bokmål:
ryggsekk
— worn on a person's back, e.g., for hiking
Occitan:
sac d'esquina
— worn on a person's back, e.g., for hiking
Ossetian:
рюкзак
(rjukzak)
— worn on a person's back, e.g., for hiking
Iranian Persian:
کیفِ کولِه
(kif-e kule)
— worn on a person's back, e.g., for hiking
Polish:
plecak
— worn on a person's back, e.g., for hiking
Portuguese:
mochila
— worn on a person's back, e.g., for hiking
Portuguese:
sacudu
— worn on a person's back, e.g., for hiking
Romanian:
rucsac
— worn on a person's back, e.g., for hiking
Romansh:
satgados
— worn on a person's back, e.g., for hiking
Romansh:
bulscha
— worn on a person's back, e.g., for hiking
Russian:
рюкза́к
(rjukzák)
— worn on a person's back, e.g., for hiking
Russian:
ра́нец
(ránec)
— worn on a person's back, e.g., for hiking
Northern Sami:
lávka
— worn on a person's back, e.g., for hiking
Sardinian:
mocilla
— worn on a person's back, e.g., for hiking
Scottish Gaelic:
màla-droma
— worn on a person's back, e.g., for hiking
Serbo-Croatian:
ра́нац
— worn on a person's back, e.g., for hiking
Serbo-Croatian:
ру̏кса̄к
— worn on a person's back, e.g., for hiking
Serbo-Croatian:
на̀пртњача
— worn on a person's back, e.g., for hiking
Serbo-Croatian:
ránac
— worn on a person's back, e.g., for hiking
Serbo-Croatian:
rȕksāk
— worn on a person's back, e.g., for hiking
Serbo-Croatian:
nàprtnjača
— worn on a person's back, e.g., for hiking
Slovak:
batoh
— worn on a person's back, e.g., for hiking
Slovak:
ruksak
— worn on a person's back, e.g., for hiking
Slovene:
nahrbtnik
— worn on a person's back, e.g., for hiking
Upper Sorbian:
nachribjetnik
— worn on a person's back, e.g., for hiking
Spanish:
mochila
— worn on a person's back, e.g., for hiking
Spanish:
alforja
— worn on a person's back, e.g., for hiking
Spanish:
caballa
— worn on a person's back, e.g., for hiking
Spanish:
salveque
— worn on a person's back, e.g., for hiking
Spanish:
bulto
— worn on a person's back, e.g., for hiking
Spanish:
bolso
— worn on a person's back, e.g., for hiking
Spanish:
macuto
— worn on a person's back, e.g., for hiking
Swedish:
ryggsäck
— worn on a person's back, e.g., for hiking
Tagalog:
kabalyas
— worn on a person's back, e.g., for hiking
Tagalog:
bag
— worn on a person's back, e.g., for hiking
Tajik:
борхалта
(borxalta)
— worn on a person's back, e.g., for hiking
Tatar:
рюкзак
(ryuqzaq)
— worn on a person's back, e.g., for hiking
Tatar:
биштәр
(biştär)
— worn on a person's back, e.g., for hiking
Tatar:
арка капчыгы
(arqa qapçığı)
— worn on a person's back, e.g., for hiking
Thai:
เป้
(bpêe)
— worn on a person's back, e.g., for hiking
Thai:
กระเป๋าเป้สะพายหลัง
(grà-bpǎo bpêe sà-paai lǎng)
— worn on a person's back, e.g., for hiking
Tibetan:
རྒྱབ་ཕད
(rgyab phad)
— worn on a person's back, e.g., for hiking
Turkish:
sırt çantası
— worn on a person's back, e.g., for hiking
Turkmen:
rýukzak
— worn on a person's back, e.g., for hiking
Ukrainian:
рюкза́к
(rjukzák)
— worn on a person's back, e.g., for hiking
Ukrainian:
наплі́чник
(naplíčnyk)
— worn on a person's back, e.g., for hiking
Ukrainian:
ра́нець
(ránecʹ)
— worn on a person's back, e.g., for hiking
Ukrainian:
заплі́чник
(zaplíčnyk)
— worn on a person's back, e.g., for hiking
Urdu:
بَیک پَیک
(baik paik)
— worn on a person's back, e.g., for hiking
Uzbek:
ryukzak
— worn on a person's back, e.g., for hiking
Venetan:
zaineto
— worn on a person's back, e.g., for hiking
Vietnamese:
ba lô
— worn on a person's back, e.g., for hiking
Welsh:
sach gefn
— worn on a person's back, e.g., for hiking
Yiddish:
רוקזאַק
(rukzak)
— worn on a person's back, e.g., for hiking
Finnish:
reppu
— containing parachute
Dutch:
backpacken
— to hike and camp overnight in backcountry with one's gear carried in a backpack
Finnish:
reppumatkailla
— to hike and camp overnight in backcountry with one's gear carried in a backpack
Irish:
taistil le mála droma
— to hike and camp overnight in backcountry with one's gear carried in a backpack
Spanish:
mochilear
— to hike and camp overnight in backcountry with one's gear carried in a backpack
Finnish:
kantaa repussa
— to place or carry (an item or items) in a backpack
Irish:
iompair i mála droma
— to place or carry (an item or items) in a backpack
Spanish:
mochilear
— to place or carry (an item or items) in a backpack