beanbag

noun

bean·​bag ˈbēn-ˌbag How to pronounce beanbag (audio)
1
: a cloth bag partially filled typically with dried beans and used as a toy
2
: any of various pellet-filled bags used as furniture (such as a chair) or household articles (such as an ashtray base)

Examples of beanbag in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The popular lawn game, which requires contestants to sink beanbags into a hole in a wooden board 27 feet away, has been played on college campuses for decades. Kyle Melnick, Washington Post, 15 Feb. 2024 Law enforcement fired a beanbag round, according to the Sheriff’s Office, which is a pillow of pellets fired from a shotgun as a non-lethal weapon, and used tasers on him before sending the two K9s after him. Alex Brizee, Idaho Statesman, 12 Feb. 2024 Fairfax police swap shotgun rounds for beanbags, part of national shift In the past, some police officials have questioned whether the device would be truly effective or worth the cost — about $1,000 per device for the Fairfax County department. Olivia Diaz, Washington Post, 8 Feb. 2024 During this incident, law enforcement fired a beanbag round at Gaver and used a stun gun on him, and authorities eventually sent the two K9s after him. Alex Brizee, Idaho Statesman, 26 Jan. 2024 There were no rubber bullets or beanbag rounds, not even a foot chase. Timothy McLaughlin, Washington Post, 3 Nov. 2023 According the the district attorney, Li was hit with the beanbags four times in her torso. Teri Figueroa, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 May 2023 In Vancouver, a man was killed last year after police shot him with beanbags. Olivia Diaz, Washington Post, 23 June 2023 Toddler Pepito Mendez, 3, of Pittsburg entertained himself through the action tossing a beanbag (featuring an emoji of feces) into the boards covered in facial images of Fisher and team President Dave Kaval. Janie McCauley, ajc, 14 June 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'beanbag.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1861, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of beanbag was in 1861

Dictionary Entries Near beanbag

Cite this Entry

“Beanbag.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/beanbag. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

beanbag

noun
bean·​bag ˈbēn-ˌbag How to pronounce beanbag (audio)
1
: a cloth bag usually filled with dried beans and used in many games
2
: a bag filled with pellets that is used as a chair
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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