Word a Day
carpetbagger
What does carpetbagger mean?
carpetbagger (noun): an outsider who seeks power or success presumptuously.
Definition: Princeton WordNet 3.1.
How do you pronounce carpetbagger?
/ˈkɑɹpətˌbæɡɚ/ (IPA, American English). The app reads every word aloud.
Where does carpetbagger come from?
From carpetbag + -er, because many carried their belongings in cheap luggage made from carpet fabric.
Etymology: Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Test yourself: do you know “carpetbagger”?
Tap an answer to check it. The same questions the app asks.
What does “carpetbagger” mean?
an outsider who seeks power or success presumptuously
Right! That's what “carpetbagger” means.
the quality of being magnificent or splendid or grand
Not quite: that's what brilliance means.
tedium as a result of repetition or a lack of variety
Not quite: that's what monotony means.
a modified branch that is hard and sharp like a spike
Not quite: that's what thorn means.
Learn a word like “carpetbagger” every day
Word a Day for iPhone quizzes you on a few new words a day and brings each one back for review at growing intervals. Free, no account, no ads.
Coming soon to the App Store