parcel

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noun par·cel \ ˈpär-səl \

Definition of parcel

1 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

2 :a tract or plot of land

a parcel of real estate

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 :a wrapped bundle :package

The parcel was shipped today.

b :a unit of salable merchandise

a parcel in an auction

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

An analysis is underway to identify parcels that could be assembled into bigger pieces to attract large manufacturers.

— corey williams, The Seattle Times, "Detroit luring manufacturers to industrial park, vacant land," 13 Aug. 2017
That acreage, a 1.5 square-mile area the size of Shorewood, could be assembled from parcels that initially aren't contiguous, the source said.

— charles p. pierce, Esquire, "Made in the USA, Baby," 27 July 2017
Why comes part and parcel with a serious reckoning of teen suicide; makeup and skincare are not just diversions, but methods of self-care.

— melanie mignucci, Teen Vogue, "A Look at Green Carpet Fashion Competition Judging with Livia Firth and Elaine Welteroth," 13 July 2017
Ivanka Trump was part and parcel of the American delegation, so that is something that other delegations also do.

— maggie mallon, Glamour, "Donald Trump Defends Ivanka After She Filled in for Him During a G20 Meeting," 10 July 2017
The son of slaves, Dennis Allen bought his first parcel of nearly 20 acres in 1897, at a time when African Americans were purchasing land across the country.

— gillian b. white, The Atlantic, "The Best Business Reads of June," 3 July 2017
The parcel of land has produced dozens of fruit and vegetable varieties including radishes, bananas, red oak lettuce, cucumbers, collard greens, Swiss chard, squash, watermelon, black-eyed peas, kidney beans and green beans.

— monique o. madan, miamiherald, "This hospital grows its own food, then serves it to patients," 30 June 2017
Villa Norte is one of the few remaining large parcels on Peninsula Drive.

— brian kelly, AL.com, "Villa Norte along the banks of Bayou St. John," 28 June 2017
Carlsbad fielded an inquiry, Mayor Matt Hall tells me, but couldn’t identify a parcel of land and recommended Oceanside.

— logan jenkins, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Pro soccer coming to North County? A great goal or good grief?," 27 June 2017

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

See Words from the same year

parcel Synonyms

Synonyms

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

Related Words

accumulation, aggregate, aggregation, conglomeration; agglomeration, assortment, hodgepodge, jumble, miscellany, mixture, odds and ends, sundries, variety; cycle, run, series, suit

Near Antonyms

entity, item, single, unit

Other Climate/Meteorology Terms

monsoon, occlusion, ozone, rime, squall, zephyr

parcel

adverb

Definition of parcel

archaic

:partly

Origin and Etymology of parcel

see ¹parcel

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 15th century

See Words from the same year

parcel

adjective

Definition of parcel

:part-time, partial

Recent Examples of parcel from the Web

Parcel tax voting is underway The Santa Clara County Registrar of Voters has mailed more than 18,000 ballots to eligible voters for the May 2 Los Gatos Union School District parcel tax election.

— judy peterson, The Mercury News, "Los Gatos news briefs for April 14," 14 Apr. 2017

Origin and Etymology of parcel

see ¹parcel

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 15th century

See Words from the same year

parcel

verb

Definition of parcel

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

See parcel defined for English-language learners

Recent Examples of parcel from the Web

Look for opening dates and other information as they are parceled out on Instagram (@therealsushisan) and the restaurant website (www.sushisanrestaurant.com).

— phil vettel, chicagotribune.com, "Kaze Sushi chef Kaze Chan returns with new restaurant Sushi-san," 16 Aug. 2017
Think of UPS or FedEx parcel delivery vans, for instance, or smaller trucks at urban grocery stores delivering dog food or snack crackers.

— russ mitchell, latimes.com, "Ryder signs exclusive deal with L.A. electric-truck maker Chanje," 14 Aug. 2017
Staff in the city clerk’s office and information technology department developed the map, which enables residents to use addresses or parcel numbers to determine what districts their properties are in.

— luke money, Daily Pilot, "Costa Mesa launches interactive map of new voting districts," 9 Aug. 2017
This searchable database is a handy way to compare the value of your home or parcel to others on your street or in your city.

— rich exner, cleveland.com, "How does your new Summit County home value compare to others on your street? (database)," 2 Aug. 2017
Off-camera briefings have occurred under previous presidents, often parceled out among regular televised sessions with the press secretary.

— michael m. grynbaum, New York Times, "The Incredible Shrinking White House Briefing," 23 June 2017
Opponents strongly disagree, charging that small businesses which make up the majority of tenants along King and Washington Streets would be outvoted on the BID by big property owners, since votes are parceled out based partly on property value.

— patricia sullivan, Washington Post, "A BID by any name stokes passions in Old Town Alexandria," 23 June 2017
The chief executive of China’s JD.com says drones and other robotics technology should help parcel carriers pare their logistics costs.

— paul page, WSJ, "Today’s Top Supply Chain and Logistics News From WSJ," 20 June 2017
That leaves eight open spots for the rest of the field, to be parceled out first via victories, and then via points.

— matt crossman, charlotteobserver, "Without a victory, these 3 NASCAR drivers’ playoff bubbles will likely burst," 7 June 2017

Origin and Etymology of parcel

see ¹parcel

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 15th century

See Words from the same year

PARCEL Defined for English Language Learners

parcel

play

noun

Definition of parcel for English Language Learners

: a section or area of land
: a box or large envelope that is usually given, sent, or delivered to a person

PARCEL Defined for Kids

parcel

play

noun par·cel \ ˈpär-səl \

Definition of parcel for Students

1 :package 1

2 :a plot of land

parcel

verb

Definition of parcel for Students

parceled or parcelled; parceling or parcelling

:to divide and give out by parts We parceled out the candy.

Law Dictionary

parcel

play

noun par·cel \ ˈpär-səl \

legal Definition of parcel

:a tract or plot of land

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See words that rhyme with parcel Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for parcel Spanish Central: Translation of parcel Nglish: Translation of parcel for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of parcel for Arabic speakers

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parcel

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Origin and Etymology of parcel

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Near Antonyms

Other Climate/Meteorology Terms

parcel

Definition of parcel

Origin and Etymology of parcel

parcel

Definition of parcel

Recent Examples of parcel from the Web

Origin and Etymology of parcel

parcel

Definition of parcel

Recent Examples of parcel from the Web

Origin and Etymology of parcel

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PARCEL Defined for English Language Learners

parcel

Definition of parcel for English Language Learners

PARCEL Defined for Kids

parcel

Definition of parcel for Students

parcel

Definition of parcel for Students

Law Dictionary

parcel

legal Definition of parcel

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