A bag (also known regionally as a sack ) is a common tool in the form of a non-rigid container , typically made of cloth, leather, bamboo, paper, or plastic. The use of bags predates recorded history , with the earliest bags being lengths of animal skin, cotton , or woven plant fibers, folded up at the edges and secured in that shape with strings of the same material. Bags can be used to carry items such as personal belongings, groceries, and other objects. They comes in various shapes and sizes, often equipped with handles or straps for easier carrying.
20-418: A briefcase is a narrow hard-sided box-shaped bag or case used mainly for carrying papers and equipped with a handle. Lawyers commonly use briefcases to carry briefs to present to a court, hence the name. Businesspeople and other white collar professionals also use briefcases to carry papers, and since the 1980s, electronic devices such as laptop computers and tablet computers. Some briefcases have only
40-479: A garbage bag is often disposed of with its contents. A bag for packaging a disposable product is often disposed of when empty. Similarly, bags used as receptacles in medical procedures, such as the colostomy bag used to collect waste from a surgically diverted biological system, are typically disposed of as medical waste . Many snack foods, such as pretzels, cookies, and potato chips, are available in disposable single-use sealed bags. Briefcase A briefcase
60-404: A lock . The bag likely predates its inflexible variant, the basket , and usually has the additional advantage of being foldable or otherwise compressible to smaller sizes. On the other hand, baskets, being made of more rigid materials, may be better at protecting their contents. An empty bag may or may not be very light and foldable to a small size. If it is, this is convenient for carrying it to
80-504: A lock to protect the contents. Nowadays, briefcases may have padded internal pouches to protect laptop computers. Briefcases are descendants of the limp satchel used in the fourteenth century for carrying money and valuables. It was called a "budget", derived from the Latin word "bulga" or Irish word "bolg", both meaning leather bag (in Irish it also means 'stomach'), and also the source of
100-400: A lock to protect the contents. Nowadays, briefcases may have padded internal pouches to protect laptop computers. Briefcases are descendants of the limp satchel used in the fourteenth century for carrying money and valuables. It was called a "budget", derived from the Latin word "bulga" or Irish word "bolg", both meaning leather bag (in Irish it also means 'stomach'), and also the source of
120-419: A main internal space, while others may have subsections, accordion sections, small pockets, or dividers. Briefcases may be made from leather, vinyl, durable fabric, thin metal (such as aluminium), or plastic. Leather, vinyl, or fabric briefcases may have externally-accessible pockets or sleeves in addition to the main storage space. Some briefcases made of fabric may have a shoulder strap. Briefcases typically have
140-419: A main internal space, while others may have subsections, accordion sections, small pockets, or dividers. Briefcases may be made from leather, vinyl, durable fabric, thin metal (such as aluminium), or plastic. Leather, vinyl, or fabric briefcases may have externally-accessible pockets or sleeves in addition to the main storage space. Some briefcases made of fabric may have a shoulder strap. Briefcases typically have
160-426: A wide variety of them in the form of cloth or leather briefcases , handbags , and backpacks , and with bags made from more disposable materials such as paper or plastic being used for shopping or to carry groceries. Today, bags are also used as a fashion statement. A bag may be closable by a zipper , snap fastener , etc., or simply by folding (e.g. in the case of a paper bag). Sometimes a money bag or travel bags has
180-405: Is a narrow hard-sided box-shaped bag or case used mainly for carrying papers and equipped with a handle. Lawyers commonly use briefcases to carry briefs to present to a court, hence the name. Businesspeople and other white collar professionals also use briefcases to carry papers, and since the 1980s, electronic devices such as laptop computers and tablet computers. Some briefcases have only
200-461: The Renaissance , Elizabethan England's fashions were more ornate than ever before. Women wore their pouches underneath the vast array of petticoats and men wore leather pockets or bagges inside their breeches. Aristocrats began carrying swete bagges filled with sweet-smelling material to make up for poor hygiene. In the modern world, bags are ubiquitous, with many people routinely carrying
220-420: The 14th century, wary of pickpockets and thieves, many people used drawstring bags, in which to carry their money. These bags were attached to girdles via a long cord fastened to the waist. The Australian dillybag is a traditional Australian Aboriginal bag generally woven from plant fibres . Dillybags were and are mainly designed and used by women to gather and transport food, and are most commonly found in
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#1732780447651240-533: The 2nd century BC, the first use of paper bags in China (for preserving the flavor of tea) came during the later Tang dynasty (618–907 AD). Bags have been attested for thousands of years and have been used by both men and women. Bags have been prevalent as far back as Ancient Egypt . Many hieroglyphs depict males with bags tied around their waists. The Bible mentions pouches, especially with regard to Judas Iscariot carrying one around, holding his personal items. In
260-510: The Netherlands. In some cases these cheap bags are taxed so the customer must pay a fee where they may not have done previously. Sometimes heavy duty reusable plastic and fabric bags are sold, typically costing €0.50 to €1, and these may replace disposable bags entirely. Sometimes free replacements are offered when the bag wears out. The UK has charged 5p per plastic carrier bag in larger shops since 2015. This trend has spread to some cities in
280-485: The United States. Recently many countries have banned the use of plastic bags. Paper bags emerge as a great replacement for plastic bags; however, paper bags tend to be more expensive. A bag may or may not be disposable; however, even a disposable bag can often be used many times, for economic and environmental reasons. On the other hand, there may be logistic or hygienic reasons to use a bag only once. For example,
300-617: The Welsh baich (load, bundle), and the Greek Τσιαντουλίτσα ( Chandulícha , load). Cheap disposable paper bags and plastic shopping bags are very common, varying in size and strength in the retail trade as a convenience for shoppers, and are often supplied by the shop for free or for a small fee. Customers may also take their own shopping bag(s) to use in shops. Although paper had been used for wrapping and padding in Ancient China since
320-517: The financial term " budget ". Godillot of Paris was the first to use a hinged iron frame on a carpet bag in 1826. There then followed the Gladstone bag and the Rosebery, an oval-top bag. Eventually these became the modern metal-framed briefcase. The first of what is known as the modern rectangular briefcase is said to have been invented in the late 1850s. In 2014, the global business bag market
340-404: The financial term " budget ". Godillot of Paris was the first to use a hinged iron frame on a carpet bag in 1826. There then followed the Gladstone bag and the Rosebery, an oval-top bag. Eventually these became the modern metal-framed briefcase. The first of what is known as the modern rectangular briefcase is said to have been invented in the late 1850s. In 2014, the global business bag market
360-446: The northern parts of Australia. Women also wore more ornate drawstring bags, typically called hamondeys or tasques , to display their social status. The 14th-century handbags evolved into wedding gifts from groom to bride. These medieval pouches were embroidered, often with depictions of love stories or songs. Eventually, these pouches evolved into what were known as a chaneries , which were used for gaming or food for falcons. During
380-485: The place where it is needed, such as a shop, and for storage of empty bags. Bags vary from small ones, like purses , to larger ones used for traveling such as a suitcase . The pockets of clothing are also a kind of bag, built into the clothing for the carrying of suitably small objects. There are environmental concerns regarding use and disposal of plastic bags. Efforts are being taken to control and reduce their use in some European Union countries, including Ireland and
400-457: Was $ 9.4 billion. Bag Bags have been fundamental for the development of human civilization , as they allow people to easily collect and carry loose materials, such as berries or food grains , also allowing them to carry more items in their hands. The word probably has its origins in the Norse word baggi , from the reconstructed Proto-Indo-European bʰak, but is also comparable to
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