A pannier /ˈpæniər/ is a basket, bag, box, or similar container, carried in pairs either slung over the back of a beast of burden, or attached to the sides of a bicycle or motorcycle. The term derives from a Middle English borrowing of the Old French panier, meaning 'bread basket'.

Who invented the pannier?

It is also suggested that the pannier originated in Germany or England, having been around since 1710 in England, and appearing in the French court in the last years of Louis XIV's reign. The earlier form of the pannier took the shape similar to a 19th-century crinoline. They were wide and domed in circumference.

What does pannier mean?

1 : a large container: such as. a : a basket often carried on the back of an animal or the shoulders of a person. b : one of a pair of packs or baskets hung over the rear wheel of a vehicle (such as a bicycle)