grass sack: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C1Informal, rural, archaic.
Quick answer
What does “grass sack” mean?
A large sack, traditionally made of coarse material such as burlap or hessian, used for storing or transporting bulk materials like grain, potatoes, or animal feed.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A large sack, traditionally made of coarse material such as burlap or hessian, used for storing or transporting bulk materials like grain, potatoes, or animal feed.
Informally, can refer to a bed or sleeping place (especially a rough one), or a sack used for lawn clippings. In historical contexts, a mattress stuffed with straw or grass.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
In the UK, 'sack' is more common than 'bag' for large, coarse containers. In the US, 'burlap sack' or 'gunny sack' are more precise and common terms. The 'bed' meaning is largely archaic in both but preserved in phrases like 'hit the sack'.
Connotations
UK: rustic, agricultural, possibly old-fashioned. US: strongly agricultural or historical; 'burlap bag' is the more neutral modern term.
Frequency
Low frequency in both variants. More likely encountered in historical texts, rural contexts, or specific idioms than in everyday modern speech.
Grammar
How to Use “grass sack” in a Sentence
VERB + grass sack: fill, carry, empty, sew, stuffPREP + grass sack: in a grass sack, on a grass sackVocabulary
Collocations
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Rare. Might appear in logistics or agricultural supply contexts.
Academic
Found in historical, agricultural, or sociological texts discussing rural life.
Everyday
Very rare in modern urban settings. Might be used humorously or nostalgically.
Technical
Used in agriculture for specific types of packaging or in historical reenactment.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “grass sack”
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “grass sack”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “grass sack”
- Using 'grass sack' for a modern lawn waste bag (bin bag). Confusing it with 'sleeping bag'. Spelling as one word ('grasssack').
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, it is considered archaic or regional. Terms like 'burlap bag' or 'hessian sack' are more common today.
No. It historically referred to a rough mattress or bed, but not a portable, enclosed sleeping bag.
A 'grass sack' describes the type of sack (coarse, often for agricultural use). A 'sack of grass' describes the contents (the sack is full of grass).
Indirectly. 'Sack' in the idiom comes from the same idea of a simple, sack-like bed, but 'grass sack' is just one specific type of such a bed.
A large sack, traditionally made of coarse material such as burlap or hessian, used for storing or transporting bulk materials like grain, potatoes, or animal feed.
Grass sack is usually informal, rural, archaic. in register.
Grass sack: in British English it is pronounced /ɡrɑːs sæk/, and in American English it is pronounced /ɡræs sæk/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “Hit the sack (go to bed)”
- “Sack out (fall asleep)”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of a SACK full of GRASS clippings from the lawn. Or, a rough bed: 'The GRASS was my mattress in a SACK.'
Conceptual Metaphor
COMFORT IS REFINEMENT / DISCOMFORT IS RUDIMENTARY (a grass sack bed is a metaphor for basic, uncomfortable living conditions).
Practice
Quiz
Which of the following is the MOST likely modern equivalent of a 'grass sack' in an agricultural context?