# handbag

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈhændˌbæɡ/ · frequency rank #16,721

## Definitions
1. A small bag carried in the hand, used either when travelling or to carry tools for a specific job.
2. A small bag used chiefly by women for carrying various small personal items, sometimes considered as a fashion accessory.
3. Ellipsis of handbag house.

## Etymology
From hand + bag. The music genre is named from women dancing around a pile of their handbags in nightclubs. The verb is a reference to Margaret Thatcher's handbag.

## Easily confused with
- **handing** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/handbag-vs-handing)
- **handbags** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/handbag-vs-handbags)
- **handball** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/handbag-vs-handball)

## Common misspellings (11)
`ahndbag`, `hadnbag`, `hanbdag`, `handabg`, `handbagg`, `handbbag`, `handbga`, `handdbag`, `hanndbag`, `hhandbag`, `hnadbag`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/handbag