Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun Containers for a traveler's belongings.
  • noun The cases and belongings of a traveler.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun Anything to be carried that is cumbersome and heavy.
  • noun Baggage; especially, a traveler's baggage.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun That which is lugged; anything cumbrous and heavy to be carried; especially, a traveler's trunks, baggage, etc., or their contents.
  • noun [Eng.] a vehicle for carrying luggage; a railway car, or compartment of a car, for carrying luggage.
  • noun the compartment in a train, bus or other vehicle designed for storage of luggage during a journey. Separate from the passenger compartment.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun The bags and other containers that hold a traveller's belongings.
  • noun The contents of such containers.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun cases used to carry belongings when traveling

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Probably lug + (bag)gage.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

1590s, lug (“drag”) +‎ -age (“(noun)”) – literally “that which is lugged, dragged around”. Duplicate -g- is to clarify pronunciation of the vowel ‘u’ (which is pronounced unchanged from lug). Compare baggage.

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Examples

  • If the customs officer snatches a piece of my luggage, it will in general itself be luggage; if adoring groupies snatch an article of my clothing, it will be clothing; for ˜luggage™ and ˜clothing™ are mass nouns.

    Tropes Bacon, John 2008

  • After you land at Heathrow, and once you get your luggage (if you get your luggage*) you have a number of choices for getting into London.

    Viator Travel Blog 2009

  • The ship has not yet arrived, but will doubtless be here in a few moments, the bad weather having delayed her; and my luggage is all hurried down to the tender, where I should be sent, too, did I not wail with hunger.

    In Seven Stages: A Flying Trip Around the World 1891

  • I read that packing jewelry in checked luggage is not advisable, although I certainly do not have diamonds, rubies, or anything of the sort in my possession.

    Shipping Items 2009

  • And no, 3 Adults and 3 KIds with multiple pieces of luggage is not the best way to travel on a bus.

    Question regarding crossing into Mexico 2009

  • Now that carry-on luggage is out of hand the airlines say Don't want to pay to check it?

    Senators fight airlines over carry-on baggage fees 2010

  • If their service to my carry on luggage is superior, I should be the one deciding if the fee is worth choosing that airline.

    Senator vows to block carry-on fee 2010

  • Nongjian Tao, an Arizona State University professor who studies the basic properties of graphene, also foresees graphene-based chemical sensors to detect explosives in luggage and volatile organic compounds in the air.

    How and Why: Graphene seems valuable for computers, batteries and other uses Post 2010

  • Just to check regular luggage is $40 a bag or more, and they usually have to weigh less than 50 pounds which is almost impossible.

    Senator vows to block carry-on fee 2010

  • And no, 3 Adults and 3 KIds with multiple pieces of luggage is not the best way to travel on a bus.

    Question regarding crossing into Mexico 2009

Comments

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  • At times I use this as a count noun: one luggage, two luggages, etc. This is an idiosyncratic usage.

    December 30, 2010

  • You are not alone. I tender in evidence the 'conductor' on the Eurolines bus service between Verona and Salzburg circa 7 years ago.

    December 30, 2010