parcel
Americannoun
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an object, article, container, or quantity of something wrapped or packed up; small package; bundle.
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a quantity or unit of something, as of a commodity for sale; lot.
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a group, collection, or assemblage of persons or things.
- Synonyms:
- assortment, batch
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a distinct, continuous portion or tract of land.
-
a part, portion, or fragment.
verb (used with object)
adverb
noun
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something wrapped up; package
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a group of people or things having some common characteristic
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a quantity of some commodity offered for sale; lot
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a distinct portion of land
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an essential part of something (esp in the phrase part and parcel )
verb
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(often foll by up) to make a parcel of; wrap up
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(often foll by out) to divide (up) into portions
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nautical to bind strips of canvas around (a rope)
adverb
Related Words
See package.
Other Word Forms
- unparceled adjective
- unparceling adjective
Etymology
Origin of parcel
First recorded in 1275–1325; Middle English, from Middle French parcelle, from unattested Late Latin particella, fresh formation for Latin particula; see particle, passel
Explanation
A parcel is a part of something, or a division. It can also be a package or a collection of things wrapped together. Parcel comes from the Anglo-Norman word for "part." Often when we use parcel to mean a part, we're talking about land, which is divided into definable (and purchasable) tracts. As a verb, parcel means to divide something into parts, just as after trick-or-treating you might parcel your candy stash into piles of chocolates, peppermints, or toffees. If you're selling the family farm, you might parcel it into four small plots.
Vocabulary lists containing parcel
"The Great Gatsby," Chapter 1 Vocabulary
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Maus I: My Father Bleeds History
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Revolution in Our Time
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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.
The parcel carrier said packages carrying the sensors are tracked hundreds of times versus dozens of times with traditional package scans.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 14, 2026
Smaller merchants generally lack the size and scale to lock in the lowest rates, said Satish Jindel, president of ShipMatrix, which tracks parcel shipping data.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 3, 2026
That’s not the primary benefit to those two parcel shippers, though.
From Barron's • Apr. 2, 2026
The dwelling sits on a 1.4-acre parcel that is home to a glittering swimming pool and spa, an enormous patio, an outdoor kitchen, and a fire pit area.
From MarketWatch • Mar. 30, 2026
So I set the parcel with sausage on the table, smooth down my hair, and try to remember how to be a polite guest on a social call.
From "Girl in the Blue Coat" by Monica Hesse
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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.