A
suitcase (a type of
luggage - that is, something one
lugs, or pulls along heavily) is a narrow box-shaped
bag, usually made of cloth or
vinyl that has a handle at one end and is used mainly for transporting clothes and other posessions during trips. Some suitcases have built-in wheels enabling the bag to be pulled along by a fixed or extendable handle or by a retractable or stowable leash.
A smaller, firmer suitcase, used mainly for transporting papers and office supplies is known as a briefcase.
Most travel institutions have special procedures for dealing with suitcases. Airports, for example, examine them for restricted articles and affix destination tags before they are stored in a special area of the airplane during the trip, and return them to passengers using a complex system of conveyor belts.
