View source for Duffel bag

{{Short description|Type of large cylindrical bag}}
{{More citations needed|date=May 2022}}
[[File:William J. Donovan’s Duffle Bag - Flickr - The Central Intelligence Agency.jpg|thumb|right|[[William J. Donovan]]’s [[drawstring]] Duffle Bag, circa 1922]]
A '''duffel bag''', '''duffle bag''',<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/dictionary/english/duffel-bag|title=Meaning of duffel bag in English|website=dictionary.cambridge.org|language=en|access-date=2021-11-27}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.collinsdictionary.com/us/dictionary/english/duffle-bag|title=Definition of 'duffle bag'|website=collinsdictionary.com|language=en|access-date=2021-11-27}}</ref> or '''kit bag''' is a large bag made of either natural or synthetic [[fabric]] (typically [[canvas]] or [[nylon]]).
==History==
Historically a duffel bag had a top closure using a [[drawstring]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/duffel%20bag|title=Definition of DUFFEL BAG|website=merriam-webster.com|language=en|access-date=2018-11-26}}</ref> Later bags had a webbing hand grip, along with a shoulder strap with clip that closed the bag by nesting grommets from around the rim of bag, over [[padlock]]able eye loop, later an independent pair of ruck sack straps were used.
Generally a duffel bag is used by [[Non-commissioned officer|non-commissioned]] [[Military personnel|personnel]] in the military, and for travel, sports and recreation by civilians, especially schoolchildren, who may use them to carry their physical education or football kits.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.overstock.com/guides/top-5-uses-for-duffel-bags|title=Top 5 Best Ways to Use Duffel Bags|work=Overstock.com|access-date=2018-11-26|language=en-US}}</ref> When used by a [[sailor]] or [[Marines (military)|marine]] a duffel is known as a '''seabag'''. A duffel's open structure and lack of rigidity make 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]].
Some of these misnamed ''duffle bags'' are also cylindrical but zip open on the long, horizontal side, and have handles like a [[tote bag]].
<gallery mode=packed heights=180>
File:Troepentransportschip de Seven Seas met militairen terug uit Nieuw-Guinea in Rot, Bestanddeelnr 914-4847.jpg|Single shoulder strap, 1962
File:US Navy 020416-N-4374S-505 Sailor walks with his daughter after returning from deployment.jpg|Sailor walks with his duffel bag, 2002.
File:US Navy 110208-N-5538K-073 A Marine ties down sea bags during exercise Cobra Gold 2011.jpg|[[Padlock]]ed duffel bags, 2011
File:Crew Swap 130729-N-YZ252-312.jpg|Dual shoulder straps, 2013
</gallery>
==Name ==
The origin of the name is disputed. Most sources maintain the name comes from [[Duffel]],<ref>{{cite web|title=Duffel|url=http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?allowed_in_frame=0&search=duffel |publisher=[[Online Etymology Dictionary]] |access-date=April 27, 2011}}</ref> a town in [[Flanders]], [[Belgium]], where the thick [[Duffel#Duffel cloth|duffel cloth]] used to make the bag originated in the 17th century.<ref>[https://olive-drab.com/od_soldiers_gear_duffle_bag.php "Soldiers' Duffel Bags"] olive-drab.com</ref>
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.<ref>{{cite web|title= duffel, n. and adj|work= Online Oxford English Dictionary|date= March 2021|publisher= Oxford University Press|location= Oxford, England|url= https://www.oed.com/view/Entry/58272?isAdvanced=true&result=1&rskey=5jnDkg&|url-access= subscription|access-date= 6 May 2021}}</ref>
==See also==
* [[Duffel Blog]], a satirical military website
* [[Duffel coat]]
* [[Hold-all]]
*[[Rucksack]]
==References==
{{reflist}}
==External links==
*{{commons category-inline|Duffel bags}}
{{bags}}
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[[Category:Bags]]
[[Category:Luggage]]
[[Category:Duffel]]
[[de:Rucksack#Seesack]]