parcel

1 of 4

noun

par·​cel ˈpär-səl 

1

: a tract or plot of land

a parcel of real estate

2

a

: a wrapped bundle : package

The parcel was shipped today.

b

: a unit of salable merchandise

a parcel in an auction

3

: a company, collection, or group of persons, animals, or things : lot

The whole story was a parcel of lies.

a parcel of giddy young kids

—Mark Twain

4

a

: fragment, portion

sold his stocks by parcels

b

: a volume of a fluid (such as air) considered as a single entity within a greater volume of the same fluid

parcel

2 of 4

verb

parceled or parcelled; parceling or parcelling ˈpär-s(ə-)liŋ 

transitive verb

1

: to divide into parts : distribute

—often used with out

2

: to make up into a parcel : wrap

3

: to cover (something, such as a rope) with strips of canvas or tape

parcel

3 of 4

adjective

: part-time, partial

parcel

4 of 4

adverb

archaic

: partly

Synonyms

Noun

• array
• assemblage
• band
• bank
• batch
• battery
• block
• bunch
• clot
• clump
• cluster
• clutch
• collection
• constellation
• group
• grouping
• huddle
• knot
• lot
• muster
• package
• passel
• set
• suite

Verb

• administer
• allocate
• apportion
• deal (out)
• dispense
• distribute
• dole out
• hand out
• mete (out)
• portion
• prorate

Examples of parcel in a Sentence

Noun

a parcel of real estate

her absurd explanation for the collision was a parcel of lies

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Two of the parcels—which together total 27 acres—encompass the 106 yards of sauropod tracks, known as the West Gold Hill Dinosaur Track site. —Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 18 Apr. 2024

Similarly, Seritage Growth Properties, which owns the easternmost parcel at UTC where Sears used to be, has also been shopping for a buyer for its real estate. —Jennifer Van Grove, San Diego Union-Tribune, 18 Apr. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun, Verb, Adjective, and Adverb

Middle English, from Anglo-French parcele, from Vulgar Latin *particella, from Latin particula small part — more at particle

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 4a

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Adverb

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing parcel

• parcel bomb
• parcel off
• parcel out
• parcel post
• parcel up
• part and parcel
• part and parcel of

Kids Definition

parcel

1 of 2 noun

par·​cel ˈpär-səl 

1

: a part of a whole : portion

2

: a plot of land

3

: a group or collections of persons or things

told a parcel of lies

4

: a wrapped bundle

parcel

2 of 2 verb

parceled or parcelled; parceling or parcelling

ˈpär-s(ə-)liŋ

1

: to divide into parts : distribute

2

: to wrap up into a parcel

Legal Definition

parcel

noun

par·​cel ˈpär-səl 

: a tract or plot of land