gunny sack
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
Noun: A coarse sack made from burlap (a rough, woven fabric from jute or hemp fibers), used primarily for storing and transporting bulk goods like grains, potatoes, or coffee beans.
Usage
This term refers specifically to the sack itself, not its contents. It is often associated with agricultural, industrial, or historical contexts. - The farmers filled the gunny sack with freshly harvested potatoes. - We need a gunny sack to collect the fallen leaves.
Advanced Usage
- Historical/Depression-era Context: "Gunny sack" can evoke imagery of the Great Depression, where such sacks were sometimes used out of necessity for clothing or bedding.
- During the hard times, some children wore clothes made from gunny sacks.
Variants and Related Words
- Gunnysack: A common alternative spelling, written as one word.
- Burlap sack: A more general synonym, emphasizing the material.
- Hessian sack: A term used primarily in British English, named after the Hessian soldiers.
Synonyms
- Burlap bag
- Jute sack
- Crocus sack (regional, Southern US)
Related Phrases/Idioms
While there are no common phrasal verbs or idioms using "gunny sack," the material "burlap" appears in the simile "rough as burlap," describing something very coarse or unrefined. - The old blanket was as rough as burlap.
Noun
- a bag made of burlap