packet
Americannoun
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a small group or package of anything.
a packet of letters.
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Also called packet ship. Also called packet boat,. a small vessel that carries mail, passengers, and goods regularly on a fixed route, especially on rivers or along coasts.
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Cards. a part of a pack of cards after being cut.
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Informal. a large amount of money.
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Computers. a relatively small unit of data sent over a network.
Every email you send and web page you browse is transferred to and from your device in a series of packets.
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British Slang.
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a painful blow or beating.
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misfortune or failure.
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verb (used with object)
noun
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Usual US and Canadian word: package. pack. a small or medium-sized container of cardboard, paper, etc, often together with its contents
a packet of biscuits
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a small package; parcel
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Also called: packet boat. a boat that transports mail, passengers, goods, etc, on a fixed short route
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slang a large sum of money
to cost a packet
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computing a unit into which a larger piece of data is broken down for more efficient transmission See also packet switching
verb
Synonym Usage
See package .
Other Word Forms
Conjugated Forms
Present
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have packettedperfect
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has packetedperfect 3rd person singular
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has packettedperfect 3rd person singular
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have packetedperfect
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have been packetingperfect progressive
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am packetingprogressive 1st person singular
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are packettingprogressive
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has been packetingperfect progressive 3rd person singular
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packetingparticiple
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have been packettingperfect progressive
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is packettingprogressive 3rd person singular
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has been packettingperfect progressive 3rd person singular
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am packettingprogressive 1st person singular
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packettingparticiple
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is packetingprogressive 3rd person singular
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packetssingular 3rd person
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are packetingprogressive
Past
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had packetedperfect
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had packettedperfect
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had been packetingperfect progressive
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had been packettingperfect progressive
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was packetingprogressive singular
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were packettingprogressive plural
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packettedsimple
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were packetingprogressive plural
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packetedparticiple
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packetedsimple
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packettedparticiple
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was packettingprogressive singular
Future
Etymology
Origin of packet
First recorded in 1520–30; from Middle French pacquet, equivalent to pacqu(er) pack 1 + -et -et
Explanation
A packet is a container or bundle, like the tiny packet of pretzels they give you on an airplane or the packet of papers a teacher takes home to grade over the weekend. The word packet was first used in the 15th century, from the Middle English pak, or "bundle. Dating back to Britain's Tudor era, packet ships were mail boats that carried bundles of letters overseas. This entire industry of mail service was known as the "packet trade." Today the word packet is more likely to conjure images of things in small paper containers that can be torn open, like the packets of soy sauce you get with your take-out dinner.
Vocabulary lists containing packet
Computer Science and Technology - High School
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"In Response to Executive Order 9066"
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
"To put our findings in perspective, a 10 percent increase in UPFs is roughly equivalent to adding a standard packet of chips to your daily diet," Dr. Cardoso said.
From Science Daily • Jun. 9, 2026
She said she often had "a packet of soup and a bit of bread" for dinner because of the cost of her bills.
From BBC • Jun. 3, 2026
Toss a can of drained beans with olive oil, a few strips of lemon peel and an Italian dressing packet, then let everything mingle for half an hour or so.
From Salon • Jun. 2, 2026
Weeks later, Drexel was told her father’s case was included in a briefing packet for Trump ahead of his meeting with Xi in South Korea.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 19, 2026
“So your girlfriend ain’t here,” Shayla said, standing over my desk as I tried to finish my English packet.
From "Monday's Not Coming" by Tiffany D. Jackson
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
