Bundle vs. Bindle — What's the Difference?
By Tayyaba Rehman & Maham Liaqat — Updated on April 4, 2024
A bundle is a collection of items tightly wrapped or bound together, often for easy handling or transportation, while a bindle is specifically a bundle, typically of bedding and belongings, carried by a traveler or hobo on a stick.
Difference Between Bundle and Bindle
Table of Contents
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Key Differences
A bundle refers broadly to any collection of items that are tied or wrapped together, making it a versatile term that applies in various contexts, from packages wrapped in cloth or paper to digital collections of software. On the other hand, a bindle is a more specific type of bundle, traditionally associated with the image of a traveler, especially a hobo, carrying personal belongings tied in cloth at the end of a stick. This distinction highlights the bindle's unique cultural and historical connotations, primarily linked to the era of the Great Depression in the United States, symbolizing transient lifestyles and self-sufficiency.
While bundles can be seen in everyday scenarios such as shopping, storage, or gift-wrapping, signifying organization and convenience, bindles evoke a sense of adventure, survival, and the bygone days of itinerant living. Bundles are practical in nature, designed to consolidate items for efficiency, whereas bindles carry an emotional or narrative weight, often depicted in literature and art as symbols of nomadic life.
The materials used to create a bundle can vary widely, from paper and plastic to fabric, depending on the items being contained and the purpose of the bundling. In contrast, a bindle is traditionally made from a large cloth or blanket, suggesting a makeshift approach to carrying personal items during travel. This difference underscores the practicality of bundles for general use against the bindle’s specific role in transient lifestyles.
Despite their differences, both bundles and bindles serve the fundamental purpose of collecting and transporting items more conveniently. The term bundle is used in a broader sense, encompassing a wide range of tied or wrapped collections, while bindle remains a niche term, with its use largely confined to historical references or specific cultural narratives.
Comparison Chart
Definition
A collection of items wrapped or tied together for carrying.
A specific type of bundle for carrying personal belongings, often depicted as being carried on a stick.
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Usage Context
General, including packaging, storage, and transportation.
Specifically associated with travelers, especially hobos.
Symbolism
Practicality and convenience in various contexts.
Adventure, survival, and a transient lifestyle.
Materials
Varied, including cloth, paper, and plastic.
Typically made from a cloth or blanket.
Historical Connotation
Broadly used across different times and cultures.
Strongly linked to the Great Depression era in the United States.
Compare with Definitions
Bundle
Signifies organization and efficiency in packing.
He made a bundle of his documents for the meeting.
Bindle
Symbolizes the lifestyle of hobos or travelers.
Stories of the Great Depression often mention hobos with their bindles.
Bundle
Practical for transport and storage.
The courier delivered a bundle of parcels to the office.
Bindle
Carries cultural and historical significance.
The bindle is often seen in cartoons as the classic symbol of a wanderer.
Bundle
A collection of items wrapped or tied together for easy handling.
She carried a bundle of clothes to the laundry room.
Bindle
A cloth or blanket containing belongings, tied around a stick.
The traveler carried a bindle over his shoulder.
Bundle
Often used in commerce to describe packaged goods.
The software was sold as a bundle with extra features.
Bindle
Reflects a bygone era of transient living.
The museum exhibit featured a bindle as part of its hobo culture display.
Bundle
Can be used metaphorically to describe a lot of something.
She was a bundle of nerves before the performance.
Bindle
Associated with simplicity and minimalism in travel.
With just a bindle, he set out on his journey across the country.
Bundle
A collection of things or quantity of material tied or wrapped up together
A thick bundle of envelopes
Bindle
A bindle is the bag, sack, or carrying device stereotypically used by the American sub-culture of hobos. A "bindlestiff" was another name for a hobo who carried a bindle.
Bundle
Tie or roll up (a number of things) together as though into a parcel
She quickly bundled up her clothes
Bindle
Any given length of cord, rope, twine, etc, used to bind something.
Bundle
Push, carry, or send forcibly, hastily, or unceremoniously
He was bundled into a van
Bindle
A bundle carried by a hobo (usually containing his possessions), often on a stick slung over the shoulder; a blanket roll.
Bundle
Sleep fully clothed with another person, as a former local custom during courtship.
Bindle
Any bundle or package; specifically one containing narcotics such as cocaine, heroin, or morphine.
Bundle
A group of objects held together, as by tying or wrapping.
Bundle
Something wrapped or tied up for carrying; a package.
Bundle
(Biology) A cluster or strand of closely bound muscle or nerve fibers.
Bundle
(Botany) A vascular bundle.
Bundle
A large amount; a lot
Had a bundle of fun at the dance.
Bundle
A large sum of money
Made a bundle selling real estate.
Bundle
To tie, wrap, or gather together.
Bundle
To dispatch or dispense of quickly and with little fuss; hustle
Bundled the child off to school.
Bundle
To dress (a person) warmly
Bundled them up in winter clothes.
Bundle
To hurry; hasten
The children came bundling in from outside.
Bundle
To sleep in the same bed while fully clothed, a custom formerly practiced by engaged couples in New England and in Wales.
Bundle
A group of objects held together by wrapping or tying.
A bundle of straw or of paper
A bundle of old clothes
Bundle
A package wrapped or tied up for carrying.
Bundle
A group of products or services sold together as a unit.
This software bundle includes a wordprocessor, a spreadsheet, and two games.
Bundle
(informal) A large amount, especially of money.
The inventor of that gizmo must have made a bundle.
Bundle
(biology) A cluster of closely bound muscle or nerve fibres.
Bundle
A sequence of two or more words that occur in language with high frequency but are not idiomatic; a chunk, cluster, or lexical bundle.
Examples of bundles would include in accordance with, the results of and so far.
Bundle
A directory containing related resources such as source code; application bundle.
Bundle
A quantity of paper equal to two reams (1000 sheets).
Bundle
(law) A court bundle, the assemblage of documentation prepared for, and referred to during, a court case.
Bundle
(mathematics) Topological space composed of a base space and fibers projected to the base space.
Stalk space
Bundle
(transitive) To tie or wrap together into a bundle.
Bundle
(transitive) To hustle; to dispatch something or someone quickly.
Bundle
(intransitive) To prepare for departure; to set off in a hurry or without ceremony; used with away, off, out.
Bundle
(transitive) To dress someone warmly.
Bundle
(intransitive) To dress warmly. Usually bundle up
Bundle
(computing) To sell hardware and software as a single product.
Bundle
(intransitive) To hurry.
Bundle
(slang) dogpile: to form a pile of people upon a victim.
Bundle
(transitive) To hastily or clumsily push, put, carry or otherwise send something into a particular place.
Bundle
To sleep on the same bed without undressing.
Bundle
A number of things bound together, as by a cord or envelope, into a mass or package convenient for handling or conveyance; a loose package; a roll; as, a bundle of straw or of paper; a bundle of old clothes.
The fable of the rods, which, when united in a bundle, no strength could bend.
Bundle
To tie or bind in a bundle or roll.
Bundle
To send off abruptly or without ceremony.
They unmercifully bundled me and my gallant second into our own hackney coach.
Bundle
To sell together as a single item at one inclusive price; - usually done for related products which work or are used together.
Bundle
To prepare for departure; to set off in a hurry or without ceremony.
Bundle
To sleep on the same bed without undressing; - applied to the custom of a man and woman, especially lovers, thus sleeping.
Van Corlear stopped occasionally in the villages to eat pumpkin pies, dance at country frolics, and bundle with the Yankee lasses.
Bundle
A collection of things wrapped or boxed together
Bundle
A package of several things tied together for carrying or storing
Bundle
A large sum of money (especially as pay or profit);
She made a bundle selling real estate
They sank megabucks into their new house
Bundle
Make into a bundle;
He bundled up his few possessions
Bundle
Gather or cause to gather into a cluster;
She bunched her fingers into a fist
The students bunched up at the registration desk
Bundle
Compress into a wad;
Wad paper into the box
Bundle
Sleep fully clothed in the same bed with one's betrothed
Common Curiosities
Why would someone use a bundle?
For the practical purposes of organization, protection, and ease of transport.
Is a bindle used today?
While rare, it's occasionally seen in historical reenactments or as a cultural symbol.
What does carrying a bindle signify?
Traditionally, it signifies a nomadic lifestyle, often associated with poverty or a desire for freedom.
How does the symbolism of a bundle differ from a bindle?
A bundle is neutral, symbolizing efficiency and practicality, while a bindle carries a richer narrative of adventure and survival.
What does the act of bundling items achieve?
It consolidates items for easier handling, protection, and sometimes concealment.
What can be included in a bundle?
Anything from firewood, clothing, software, to various consumer goods.
Can the term bundle refer to digital products?
Yes, it's commonly used to describe a set of digital goods or services sold together.
Why might someone choose a bundle over a suitcase?
For simplicity, cost, or the specific requirements of the items being transported.
What's the historical significance of a bindle?
It's most notably linked to the transient workers and hobos of the early 20th century in the U.S.
Are bindles practical for modern travel?
Modern travel usually requires more secure and practical forms of luggage.
What lessons can modern society learn from the bindle and its users?
The importance of resourcefulness, minimalism, and the value of personal freedom.
How do bundles and bindles reflect human ingenuity?
Both show creative solutions to the challenge of transporting belongings, reflecting adaptability and resourcefulness.
What cultural roles does the bindle play?
It serves as a nostalgic symbol of freedom, adventure, and the resilience of those who lived through hard times.
Can anyone make a bindle?
Yes, with a cloth or blanket and a stick, though it's more of a cultural artifact than a practical choice today.
Does the concept of a bindle exist outside the United States?
Yes, but it's most strongly associated with the American hobo culture and the Great Depression.
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Written by
Tayyaba RehmanTayyaba Rehman is a distinguished writer, currently serving as a primary contributor to askdifference.com. As a researcher in semantics and etymology, Tayyaba's passion for the complexity of languages and their distinctions has found a perfect home on the platform. Tayyaba delves into the intricacies of language, distinguishing between commonly confused words and phrases, thereby providing clarity for readers worldwide.
Co-written by
Maham Liaqat
