Taken onto an airplane (or a ferry, etc.) with a passenger, rather than checked.
📰 **Best Carry-On Suitcases (2026): Away, Rimowa, Tumi** I feel about luggage carousels the same way I feel about head lice: avoid at all costs. These are the best carry-on suitcases for those who never want to chec…
WORD WATCH: Flight attendant just announced that carry-on luggage should be placed “taco shell style” (on its side instead of flat). Clever! (I guess “vertical” was confusing…)
Taken onto an airplane (or a ferry, etc.) with a passenger, rather than checked.
It's a compact suitcase, but it makes a good carry-on bag.
"carry-on" means: Taken onto an airplane (or a ferry, etc.) with a passenger, rather than checked.. This is a fairly neutral word with no inherent risk attached. There is no real cause for parental concern; it is descriptive vocabulary rather than something dangerous. If your child uses it, context will usually make the meaning clear. A brief, curious question about where they heard it is generally enough to know whether to follow up.
"carry-on" means: Taken onto an airplane (or a ferry, etc.) with a passenger, rather than checked.. This is a fairly neutral word with no inherent risk attached. There is no real cause for parental concern; it is descriptive vocabulary rather than something dangerous. If your child uses it, context will usually make the meaning clear. A brief, curious question about where they heard it is generally enough to know whether to follow up.
Slang is read by different audiences for very different reasons. The For parents view re-explains the term in plain, non-judgemental language so a caregiver can understand what their child means without needing the surrounding subculture. The For English learners view focuses on register (when it's safe to use), formal alternatives, and common mistakes — what a textbook won't teach you.
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A navy lark with many of the 'Carry-On' crew in which a ship's steward convinces his admiral he is the brain behind a homing torpedo, but he finds himself in deep water. 1960.
"carry-on" means: Taken onto an airplane (or a ferry, etc.) with a passenger, rather than checked.. Register: neutral, standard English, usable in most everyday contexts. A common non-native mistake is to use the word in the wrong register, or to assume one fixed meaning when it is actually polysemous; always check the surrounding register and the audience before producing it yourself. In formal writing, prefer a neutral synonym or a short descriptive phrase, and use this word only when you have heard or read it being used naturally in a comparable context.
“A navy lark with many of the 'Carry-On' crew in which a ship's steward convinces his admiral he is the brain behind a homing torpedo, but he finds himself in deep water. 1960.”
(countable, British, NZ) A palaver; a disorderly or absurd situation.
"I love salad",she dared when it came to the next course, and then inwardly cringed when it seemed that that was actually a special order and there was such a carry-on about what kind of salad she wanted.
“WORD WATCH: Flight attendant just announced that carry-on luggage should be placed “taco shell style” (on its side instead of flat). Clever! (I guess “vertical” was confusing…)”
“Confused about domestic airline carry-on size rules in 2026? Here's what you need to know before you pack for your next flight.”
“In a couple of hours, Arsenal is playing the second leg of the Champions League semi-final. If you went to the BBC Football website, you wouldn't know if you didn't already know. Such a shameful carry-on on arseholes 🤬🤬.”
“Long-time travelers and those that have had their phone stolen in the past recommend keeping your phone in a zippered bag or in your carry-on to avoid theft.”
That luggage or baggage which is taken onto an airplane (or a ferry, etc.) with a passenger, rather than checked.
Do you think they'll accept my ski poles as carry-on?
“📰 **Best Carry-On Suitcases (2026): Away, Rimowa, Tumi** I feel about luggage carousels the same way I feel about head lice: avoid at all costs. These are the best carry-on suitcases for those who never want to check a bag again. 📰 Source: Feed: All Latest 🔗 Archive […]”