knapsack

From Low German knapzak or Dutch knapzak (older form cnapsack), from Middle Dutch cnappen (“to bite with teeth”), ultimately from knappen (“to eat, crack”), of imitative origin, + sack. German Knappsack is from Dutch.

• IPA^(key): /ˈnæpsæk/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

knapsack (plural knapsacks)

1. (chiefly US) A case of canvas or leather, for carrying items on the back.
   • 1891, Thomas Hardy, Tess of the d'Urbervilles, volume 1, London: James R. Osgood, McIlvaine and Co., page 23:

     The two elder reluctantly left him and walked on, taking their brother's knapsack to relieve him in following, and the youngest entered the field.

2. (cryptography) A set of values from which a subset is chosen.

• backpack
• rucksack

knapsack (third-person singular simple present knapsacks, present participle knapsacking, simple past and past participle knapsacked)

1. To go hiking while burdened with a knapsack, usually overnight or for longer.

   My sleeping bag fell off my backpack into the water, while we were knapsacking up the mountain.

• backpack

• backpacking
• camping
• hiking

• Oxford English Dictionary, 1884–1928, and First Supplement, 1933.