Forms: 7 vallies, valice, 8 valize, valaise, 9 Sc. wal-, wallise, vallise, 7– valise. [a. F. valise (1568), ad. It. valigia (Sp. balija), corresponding to med.L. valisia (1407), valixia, valesia (1298), of doubtful origin.
In Sandys, Travels (1615), 115 the form valeisa is used.]
1. A travelling case or portmanteau, now usually made of leather and of a size suitable for carrying by hand, formerly also for strapping to the saddle of a horse. Now chiefly U.S.
1633. B. Jonson, Tale of Tub, II. i. I promise To keep my master’s privities seal’d up In the vallies of my trust, lock’d close for ever.
1644. D. Hume, Hist. Douglas, 95. The Country people … sometimes robbed them of their horses, sometimes of their valises and luggage.
1660. F. Brooke, trans. Le Blanc’s Trav., 317. Poor Alari lost above two thousand franks which he had in his Valice.
1713. C’tess Winchelsea, Misc. Poems, 130. Bringing their Noddles, and Valizes pack’d With Mysteries, from Shops and Taylors wreck’d.
1785. Arab. Nts. Entert., 576. Having brought a valaise along with him, he put as much gold into it as his horse could carry.
1797. T. Jefferson, Writ. (1859), IV. 156. Your impatience to receive your valise and its key was natural.
1815. Scott, Guy M., xxii. He drew the girths of his saddle, adjusted the walise, and put on the bridle.
1839. Dickens, Nickleby, xiii. He packed up a few clothes in a small leathern valise.
1884. E. Yates, Rec. & Exp., I. 46. The letters being enclosed in leather valises, which were strapped behind the post-boys.
b. Mil. A cylindrical cloth or leather case adapted for carrying the kit or outfit of a soldier, esp. of a cavalryman or artilleryman.
1833. Reg. & Instr. Cavalry, I. 83. The valise being … lightly stuffed with hay.
1851. Ord. & Regul. R. E., xxvii. 124. The Boxes of the Non-Commissioned Officers, and the Valises of the Men, to be placed under the foot of the Bedstead.
1877. Field Exerc. Infantry, 410. The Officer Commanding a piquet will decide if patrols are to wear Valises or not.
2. attrib. in valise dee, equipment, -lock, -saddle, strap, etc.
1852. Burn, Milit. Dict., II. s.v., Valise or baggage-straps.
1875. Knight, Dict. Mech., 2688/1. Valise-lock, a small trunk-lock. Ibid., A valise-saddle is placed on each off-horse of an artillery-carriage.
1898. Allbutt’s Syst. Med., V. 853. The modern valise equipment is less injurious to the young soldier than the old knapsack.
1898. Daily News, 12 Dec., 9/2. The greatcoat straps will be passed downwards, through the valise dees.
