packet

American  

[pak-it] / ˈpæk ɪt /

noun

1. a small group or package of anything.

   a packet of letters.

2. 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.

3. Cards. a part of a pack of cards after being cut.

4. Informal. a large amount of money.

5. 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.

6. British Slang.

   1. a painful blow or beating.

   2. misfortune or failure.

---

verb (used with object)

1. to bind up in a package or parcel.

packet British  

/ ˈpækɪt /

noun

1. 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

2. a small package; parcel

3. Also called: packet boat.  a boat that transports mail, passengers, goods, etc, on a fixed short route

4. slang a large sum of money

   to cost a packet

5. computing a unit into which a larger piece of data is broken down for more efficient transmission See also packet switching

---

verb

1. (tr) to wrap up in a packet or as a packet

Related Words

See package .

Etymology

Origin of packet

First recorded in 1520–30; from Middle French pacquet, equivalent to pacqu(er) pack ¹ + -et -et

Example Sentences

Times Plants newsletter will receive Jeanette’s Mix, a special packet of colorful sunflower seeds and California poppies that Marantos hoped to offer this year.

From Los Angeles Times

One effort, a children’s carbonated powdered drink sold in foil packs, was scrapped after leaks in the packets caused them to burst, according to a 2014 Baltimore Magazine profile on the company.

From The Wall Street Journal

The guy next to me adjusts his overhead fan and gestures at the medicine packet in my fingers.

From Literature

The fight over the warring feedbacks got so intense that Brockman at one point offered to withdraw his from Daniela’s packet.

From The Wall Street Journal

Most of us remember the excitement of our first teenage pay packet but, for many 16 and 17-year-olds today, finding a part-time job feels out of reach.

From BBC

Related Words

• bag
• carton
• container
• envelope
• folder
• package
• parcel
• wrapper