gunnysack

noun

gun·​ny·​sack ˈgə-nē-ˌsak How to pronounce gunnysack (audio)
: a sack made of a coarse heavy fabric (such as burlap)

Examples of gunnysack in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Meat striped from their bones brings $9 a gunnysack to natives. Bob Brister, Field & Stream, 12 Nov. 2020 The bass angler tends to be competitive, the saltwater fisherman is always looking for the full gunnysack, or maybe that trophy marlin. Ernie Cowan Outdoors, sandiegouniontribune.com, 5 Mar. 2018 In 2007, the bodies of Manoj and Babli, lovers from the same village and the same gohtra—believed to be descendants of a common ancestor—were found in gunnysacks dumped in a canal not far from Kakheri. Krista Stevens, Longreads, 22 Dec. 2017 But instead of bagging his finds in bottles and gunnysacks, Venter is capturing their DNA on filter paper and shipping it to be sequenced and analyzed at his headquarters in Rockville, Maryland. James Shreeve, WIRED, 1 Aug. 2004

Word History

Etymology

gunny coarse fabric, of Indo-Aryan origin; akin to Hindi gon sack, Punjabi gūṇī

First Known Use

1799, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of gunnysack was in 1799

Dictionary Entries Near gunnysack

Cite this Entry

“Gunnysack.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gunnysack. Accessed 23 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

gunnysack

noun
gun·​ny·​sack -ˌsak How to pronounce gunnysack (audio)
: a sack made of a coarse heavy fabric (as burlap)

More from Merriam-Webster on gunnysack

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!