parcel

noun par·cel \ ˈpär-səl \

|Updated on: 14 Aug 2018

Examples: parcel in a Sentence

Definition of parcel

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

See parcel defined for English-language learners

See parcel defined for kids

Examples of parcel in a Sentence

a parcel of real estate
her absurd explanation for the collision was a parcel of lies

Recent Examples of parcel from the Web

The announcement comes amid a flurry of real estate projects proposed along the Chicago River on the North Side, including developer Sterling Bay’s more than 70-acre Lincoln Yards development on adjacent parcels.

— ryan ori, chicagotribune.com, "General Iron to sell North Side land site, move out in 2020," 13 July 2018
Chesterton’s ordinance, crafted in 2015, allows no more than four chickens on parcels smaller than one-half acre, and prohibits roosters and slaughtering.

— michelle l. quinn, Post-Tribune, "Crown Point woman asks city council to consider letting her keep chickens 'for food, educational purposes'," 13 July 2018
Currently the city of Madison has approved a developer’s plan to put 19 houses on the remaining 10 acres not purchased by the conservancy, most of which would be out of sight on the 1,000-foot-long parcel.

— bo emerson, ajc, "Architectural gem rescued by Madison conservancy," 13 July 2018
Husband-and-wife team Alex Farias and Lauren Valenzuela plan to open Sacramento's first taproom/dog park next spring on a 28,000-square-foot parcel at 6622 Freeport Blvd.

— benjy egel, sacbee, "Pub meets pug? Sacramento's new dog hangout will serve booze, coffee and bar food," 22 June 2018
The city’s School Construction Authority also has dibs on a parcel that is part of the Lambert redevelopment in West Farms proper, Phipps officials said.

— New York Times, "West Farms, the Bronx: Flora, Fauna and Renewal," 13 June 2018
In January 2015, the zoning commission approved 181 residential units on a southern parcel of land.

— alison kuznitz, courant.com, "Simsbury Medical Marijuana Producer Looks To Grow In New Location As Business Booms," 13 June 2018
Trilogy Development, a Boise company owned by John A. Laude Sr., is also working on a 307-unit development in Northwest Boise on a 38-acre parcel where farmland meets Foothills.

— maria l. la ganga, idahostatesman, "Developer's plan for a small subdivision sparks fight over growth in Boise's City Hall," 7 June 2018
The orchestra has proposed building a $19.25 million, three-story venue on a parcel known as Lot 27, southeast of Paul Brown Stadium near Smale Riverfront Park.

— scott wartman, Cincinnati.com, "Bengals threaten to veto proposed site for new concert venue at The Banks," 6 June 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'parcel.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of parcel

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

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

in the meaning defined at sense 4a

See Words from the same year

parcel Synonyms

Synonyms

array, band, batch, battery, body, boodle, bunch, cluster, clutch, consort, constellation, crop, group, grouping, huddle, knot, lot, party, passel;

Near Antonyms

individual, single;

circle, clan, clique, coterie, fellowship, gang, ring, round, set;

faction, guild (also gild), order, school, sect;

brigade, crew, outfit, phalanx, platoon, posse, task force, team;

alliance, bloc, coalition, confederacy, confederation, federation, league, union;

battalion, squadron;

bevy, brood, covey;

Phrases

the whole kit and caboodle;

Other Climate/Meteorology Terms

monsoon, occlusion, ozone, rime, squall, zephyr

parcel

verb

Definition of parcel

parceled or parcelled; parceling or parcelling play \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

See parcel defined for English-language learners

Recent Examples of parcel from the Web

This week, the Madison-area Democrat will make his legislative push. introducing a bill in the House of Representatives to end ICE and set up a commission to parcel out essential enforcement duties to other agencies.

— bill glauber, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Mark Pocan push to abolish ICE reverberates in Wisconsin U.S. Senate race," 9 July 2018
Rising indebtedness has been accompanied by looser lending standards, leading to a surge in high-risk lending, the central bank said, a large share of which is being parceled into securitized assets sold to investors world-wide.

— jason douglas, WSJ, "BOE Warns of Growing Risks in Global Debt Markets," 27 June 2018
Under California law, local tax increases that contribute to general funding can win with a simple majority vote, while special taxes earmarked for a specific purpose, such as fixing roads, and parcel taxes already require two-thirds.

— alexei koseff, sacbee, "Soda, oil companies back initiative to limit taxes in California | The Sacramento Bee," 23 Apr. 2018
As a member of the National Indian Defense Association, Weldon was a fierce opponent of the Dawes Act, which sought to divide and conquer Native American tribes by literally parcelling out their land.

— refinery29.com, "Finally, A Western That's Not About A Dude & His Horse," 26 June 2018
In a meta twist, the way the various revelations are parceled out in episodes of The Staircase has made the series a cultural touchstone in its own right, to the point where it was parodied in an NBC sitcom starring John Lithgow.

— sophie gilbert, The Atlantic, "The Queasy Verdict of The Staircase," 26 June 2018
That’s because users are not parceled out individually, but rather as constituents of large populations—tuba players, or owners of diabetic cats.

— lara sorokanich, Popular Mechanics, "How Much Money Facebook Gets From Selling Your Data," 19 June 2018
Harms said, after the district bought the hotel parcel outright.

— marci shatzman, Sun-Sentinel.com, "Demolitions to make way for new public golf course in Boca," 19 June 2018
The removal of that site, plus a request by the owners of the strawberry fields parcel on Manchester Avenue to get off the list, caused the council to revisit the issue Wednesday night and add new sites to the list.

— barbara henry, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Encinitas council adds nine more properties to high-density housing list," 10 May 2018