car·pet·bag
ˈkär-pət-ˌbag 
: a traveler's bag made of carpet and widely used in the U.S. in the 19th century
variants
or carpetbagging
: of, relating to, or characteristic of carpetbaggers
a carpetbag government
Examples of carpetbag in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Washington Post, 22 Dec. 2021
Another challenger carried a carpetbag up on stage as a prop to protest Romney's presence in the race -- illustrating the animosity toward Romney even at that early juncture.
—Maeve Reston, CNN, 1 May 2021
This clever prop allows the British nanny to pull gigantic items from her carpetbag, including a hat rack and full-length mirror.
—José Mandojana, Popular Mechanics, 2 Aug. 2020
Found in his carpetbag after his capture were many letters from his supporters, including one from Elizabeth Gloucester.
—Steve Bell, New York Times, 18 Sep. 2019
Mary’s seemingly bottomless carpetbag purse is one of the first tricks on display.
—Matthew J. Palm, orlandosentinel.com, 13 Aug. 2019
When the boy went to the room of his father, Lincoln immediately asked for his carpetbag.
—sandiegouniontribune.com, 12 Feb. 2018
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Noun
Whenever things grow desperate, Fogg pulls wads of cash from his carpetbag to pay captains to sail faster, to buy an elephant as jungle transport or, finally, to acquire and destroy an entire steamship.
—Washington Post, 22 Dec. 2021
Another challenger carried a carpetbag up on stage as a prop to protest Romney's presence in the race -- illustrating the animosity toward Romney even at that early juncture.
—Maeve Reston, CNN, 1 May 2021
This clever prop allows the British nanny to pull gigantic items from her carpetbag, including a hat rack and full-length mirror.
—José Mandojana, Popular Mechanics, 2 Aug. 2020
Found in his carpetbag after his capture were many letters from his supporters, including one from Elizabeth Gloucester.
—Steve Bell, New York Times, 18 Sep. 2019
Mary’s seemingly bottomless carpetbag purse is one of the first tricks on display.
—Matthew J. Palm, orlandosentinel.com, 13 Aug. 2019
When the boy went to the room of his father, Lincoln immediately asked for his carpetbag.
—sandiegouniontribune.com, 12 Feb. 2018
Cite this Entry
“Carpetbag.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/carpetbag. Accessed 4 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
carpetbag
1 of 2 noun
car·pet·bag
-ˌbag
: a traveling bag made of carpeting and very popular in the U.S. in the 19th century
carpetbag
2 of 2 adjective
: of or relating to carpetbaggers
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