packet
Americannoun
-
packets
plural
-
a small group or package of anything.
a packet of letters.
-
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.
-
Cards. a part of a pack of cards after being cut.
-
Informal. a large amount of money.
-
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.
-
British Slang.
-
a painful blow or beating.
-
misfortune or failure.
-
verb (used with object)
-
packets,
present (3rd person singular)
-
packeted,
past participle, past
-
packetted,
past participle, past (especially British)
-
packeting,
present participle
-
packetting
present participle (especially British)
noun
-
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
-
a small package; parcel
-
Also called: packet boat. a boat that transports mail, passengers, goods, etc, on a fixed short route
-
slang a large sum of money
to cost a packet
-
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
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
packetsimple
-
packetssimple
-
have packetedperfect
-
have packettedperfect
-
has packetedperfect
-
has packettedperfect
-
am packetingprogressive
-
am packettingprogressive
-
are packetingprogressive
-
are packettingprogressive
-
is packetingprogressive
-
is packettingprogressive
-
have been packetingperfect progressive
-
have been packettingperfect progressive
-
has been packetingperfect progressive
-
has been packettingperfect progressive
Past
-
packetedsimple
-
packettedsimple
-
had packetedperfect
-
had packettedperfect
-
was packetingprogressive
-
was packettingprogressive
-
were packetingprogressive
-
were packettingprogressive
-
had been packetingperfect progressive
-
had been packettingperfect progressive
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
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
"In Response to Executive Order 9066"
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
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.
See Examples For:
If done right, it could save you a packet.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 25, 2026
Sonia says she was never paid her final pay packet and is owed £2,300.
From BBC ● Aug. 1, 2026
Shortcut: Replace the buttermilk powder, garlic powder, onion powder, dill and parsley with 1 packet of ranch seasoning, then add black pepper and red pepper to taste.
From Salon ● Jul. 14, 2026
Using your products sparingly can also save you a packet in the long term.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 7, 2026
“That’s some kind of shiner,” she said, and handed me a packet of herbs.
From "Hattie Big Sky" by Kirby Larson
"Where has the milk gone?" she asked when the BBC spoke to her as she was out searching for at least a few packets to quench her customers thirst for chai.
From BBC ● Sep. 4, 2026
Liquid IV is paying for its packets to pop up inside bridesmaid goody bags.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 23, 2026
Light delivers energy to the material in discrete, or quantized, packets known as photons.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 28, 2026
Whether your team chicken, shrimp, or beef, the individual packets are highly concentrated and on the saltier side.
From Salon ● Jul. 19, 2026
Peter looked back at the display—seed packets and gardening tools.
From "Pax" by Sara Pennypacker
The Poles, who spend the day in swimming shorts or underwear, change into their baggy uniforms and hunt-and-peck on the typewriters, turning out reports to be packeted to Can Tho.
From Time Magazine Archive
She spoke the last three words aloud in her intensity, so bitterly, that the two men, packeting together the papers, turned quickly.
From Little Miss By-The-Day by Lucille Van Slyke
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.
