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A duffel bag, duffle bag, [1] [2] or kit bag is a large bag made of either natural or synthetic fabric (typically canvas), historically with a top closure using a drawstring. [3] Generally a duffel bag is used by non-commissioned personnel in the military, and for travel, sports and recreation by civilians, especially schoolchildren, who may use them to carry their PE or football kits. [4] When used by a sailor or marine a duffel is known as a seabag. A duffel's open structure and lack of rigidity makes it adaptable to carrying sports gear and similar bulky objects.
A duffel bag is often confused with a hoop-handled hard-bottomed zippered bag, generically also known as a gym bag.
The origin of the name is disputed. Most sources maintain the name comes from Duffel, [5] a town in Flanders, Belgium, where the thick duffel cloth used to make the bag originated in the 17th century. [6]
According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the word dates back to 1649, used to describe ‘a coarse woollen cloth having a thick nap or frieze’. The earliest reference of the word specifically referring to a duffel bag is 1768. [7]
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cite encyclopedia}}
: CS1 maint: date and year (
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This article needs additional citations for
verification. (May 2022) |
A duffel bag, duffle bag, [1] [2] or kit bag is a large bag made of either natural or synthetic fabric (typically canvas), historically with a top closure using a drawstring. [3] Generally a duffel bag is used by non-commissioned personnel in the military, and for travel, sports and recreation by civilians, especially schoolchildren, who may use them to carry their PE or football kits. [4] When used by a sailor or marine a duffel is known as a seabag. A duffel's open structure and lack of rigidity makes it adaptable to carrying sports gear and similar bulky objects.
A duffel bag is often confused with a hoop-handled hard-bottomed zippered bag, generically also known as a gym bag.
The origin of the name is disputed. Most sources maintain the name comes from Duffel, [5] a town in Flanders, Belgium, where the thick duffel cloth used to make the bag originated in the 17th century. [6]
According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the word dates back to 1649, used to describe ‘a coarse woollen cloth having a thick nap or frieze’. The earliest reference of the word specifically referring to a duffel bag is 1768. [7]
{{
cite encyclopedia}}
: CS1 maint: date and year (
link)