grab bag


noun

a container or receptacle from which a person at a party or the like draws a gift without knowing what it is.
any miscellaneous collection.

Origin of grab bag

An Americanism dating back to 1850–55

Words nearby grab bag

British Dictionary definitions for grab bag

grab bag

noun

a collection of miscellaneous things
US, Canadian and Australian a bag or other container from which gifts are drawn at random

Idioms and Phrases with grab bag

grab bag

A miscellaneous collection, as in The meeting amounted to a grab bag of petty complaints. This term alludes to a container offered at a party or fair, where one dips in for a party favor or prize without knowing what one will get. [Mid-1800s]