backpacker

noun

Etymology: Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *bʰeg-der.? Proto-Germanic *baką Proto-West Germanic *bak Old English bæc Middle English bak English back English pack English backpack Proto-Indo-European *-yósder. Proto-Italic *-āzijos Latin -āriusnom. Latin -āriusbor. Proto-Germanic *-ārijaz Proto-West Germanic *-ārī Old English -ere Middle English -ere English -er English backpacker From backpack + -er.

1. A traveler whose luggage consists of a backpack; especially, such a traveler who uses hostels, public transport, and other inexpensive services.

   “Among the ah bengs and ah lians, the mats and the minahs, the young expats and the backpackers, he stood out like a dozen guys on a male-only dance floor singing Dancing Queen (I'll never forgive Blur for ruining my 21st birthday).”

   “A decade ago, I was a backpacker entirely reliant on the railways as a means to see Britain, and with castles as my destination. Via trains alone, I was able to tick off nearly all of the castles that my English Heritage annual pass afforded me.”

2. A hostel offering accommodation for such people.

   “We hardly ever stayed in backpackers as it was approximately double the cost of pitching a tent in a caravan park or nature reserve.”

3. A fan or performer of backpack rap.

   “Blacks and Latinos were more likely to be gangsta rappers than backpackers.”

   “To him the white backpackers are abject, 'safari wiggers' who threaten to undo all his careful work at 'passing' in this culture. With their earnestness and clumsy naiveté they betray the scandalous truth of his posturing.”