Standard Lemma guide

backpack

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

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /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