Skip to main content
gunnysack

gunnysack

3 7.4
A large bag made of rough cloth used for carrying or storing things like potatoes
  • noun
  • /ˈɡʌniˌsæk/
  • US
translation icon : saco de yute
  • Wiley shook the blue crabs into the gunnysack and then baited the trap again with mullet scraps.
  • tie a gunnysack

Examples

  • My family rushes to the storeroom, which is piled up with wet gunnysacks.

    Fiction book (1992)
  • The man, in turn, tells his wife how many gunnysacks of each type of corn seed he will need to plant his fields, and she prepares them.

    Academic text (2004)
  • I slipped the bird into the gunnysack.

    Fiction book (1994)
  • She found a gunnysack in the shed, then slipped into the garden.

    Fiction book (1997)
  • Arthur, go down to the cellar, get some gunnysacks.

  • In the garage, we gathered up gunnysacks, some twine, and a flashlight, and loaded everything into the Plymouth.

    Fiction book (1994)
  • The farmer filled a gunnysack with freshly harvested potatoes.

  • He carried the heavy gunnysack full of grain to the storage shed.

  • For the market, she packed fruits in a large gunnysack to keep them secure.

Synonyms

duffel
vsgunnysack
38 4.4

A large soft bag used to carry clothes and gear when traveling

applies to rough storage for loose agricultural goods rather than personal luggage
duffel bag
vsgunnysack
32 3.1

A large cloth bag with a round shape for carrying clothes and other things for travel or sport

refers instead to coarse storage containers for bulk food items rather than travel use
burlap bag
vsgunnysack
  • US
2 3.2

A bag made from rough cloth used to carry or store things

focuses specifically on coarse containers used for agricultural goods like grain
gunny sack
vsgunnysack
  • US
1 6.7

A rough bag used to carry grain or potatoes

is written as a single word rather than two separate words
kitbag
vsgunnysack
  • UK
5.8

A strong bag soldiers use to carry clothes and equipment

is for storing and moving bulk farm goods rather than personal military kit

How Strong

gunnysack
  • US
3 7.4
plastic bag
77 1.0
paper bag
42 1.0

Surface Forms

gunnysack singular
gunnysacks plural

Morphology

gunnysack = gunny + sack (semi-transparent) = gunny + sack

The compound is literally 'gunny' (coarse fabric) + 'sack' (bag), so the structure is clear, but 'gunny' is a less common/buried borrowing and may be unknown to many learners.

Etymology

Gunnysack comes from gunny, which comes from an Indian word goni meaning 'sack' or 'rough cloth'. So a gunnysack is literally a large, rough sack used for carrying grain, potatoes, or other goods.