Briefcase
/ˈbriːf.keɪs/noun
A small portable case for carrying documents.
Did you know?The word comes from *brief* in the legal sense of a lawyer’s written case summary, so the briefcase was originally a portable container for the papers that could decide a person’s fate.
Etymological Timeline
Old English
OE
brēf
“A written document or letter.”
12th Century
Anglo-French
brief
“A short written statement; later, a legal summary for a case.”
14th Century
Latin
brevis
“Short, brief.”
Late 19th Century
English
briefcase
“A case for carrying legal briefs and papers.”
Modern English
English
briefcase
“A portable case for documents and papers.”
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