Plural of duffel; large cylindrical bags made of durable cloth, often used for travel or military purposes.
From 'duffel,' which comes from Duffel, a town in Belgium known for manufacturing coarse woolen cloth. The word first referred to the fabric, then to bags made from that sturdy material.
Duffel bags became iconic in military culture—soldiers throwing their 'duffels' over their shoulders is such a recognizable image that the word jumped from a specific Belgian textile to represent military life itself. It's basically the uniform of soldiers, sailors, and old-school travelers.
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