suitcase
gb/sˈutkˌeɪs/ us/sˈutkˌeɪs/
A2
English
Senses
0 senses
Noun
A2
entity
1
case for carrying clothes
A big bag with a handle for your things when you travel.
Usage pattern:
[pack/unpack/carry] a suitcase; [a] suitcase (of/with) [things]
Common mistake:
Learners often use luggage when they mean one item; luggage is the general word, while a suitcase is one specific case.
Synonyms
luggage case (Very close in meaning; slightly more general.)
|
travel case (Often used for smaller or specialized travel cases.)
|
valise (More formal/old-fashioned in modern English.)
Collocations
pack a suitcase
|unpack a suitcase
|carry a suitcase
|wheel a suitcase
|a rolling suitcase
|a hard-shell suitcase
|a suitcase handle
|a suitcase lock
|a suitcase tag
|a checked suitcase
Themes
travel
|daily_life
|transport
Examples
- I left my suitcase in the taxi and had to call the driver back.
- Her suitcase was too heavy to lift onto the luggage rack.
- Make sure your suitcase is labeled with your name and phone number.
Learner examples
- I packed my suitcase for the trip.
- My suitcase is under the bed.
Grammar
Dictionary form
suitcase
IPA
GB/sˈutkˌeɪs/
US/sˈutkˌeɪs/
Syllables & stress
suit - case (2 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (suit)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: suitcase
- Plural: suitcases
Expressions
live out of a suitcase
1/lˈɪv ˈaʊt əv ə sˈutkˌeɪs/
idiom
travel often with few belongings
To travel a lot and keep your clothes in your suitcase.
Examples
- During the tour, she was living out of a suitcase for six weeks.
- He’s been living out of a suitcase since he took the new consulting job.
- I’m tired of living out of a suitcase and sleeping in hotels.
suitcase word
1/sˈutkˌeɪs wˈɚd/
fixed phrase
technical
word made by blending two words
A new word made from two words.
Examples
- The term 'brunch' is a classic suitcase word made from 'breakfast' and 'lunch'.
- Some people call 'smog' a suitcase word because it blends 'smoke' and 'fog'.
- In linguistics class, we listed suitcase words used in everyday English.