passel

noun pas·sel \ ˈpa-səl \

Definition of passel

:a large number or amount

See passel defined for English-language learners

See passel defined for kids

passel was our Word of the Day on 06/09/2016. Hear the podcast!

Examples of passel in a Sentence

reporters had a whole passel of questions for the new basketball coach
the young couple had a passel of babies in the span of a few years

Recent Examples of passel from the Web

Traffic is likely to be worse Monday afternoon after the eclipse passes and a passel of folks who arrived during a three-day period decide to leave all at once.

— george mathis, ajc, "Cheap eclipse glasses not a bright idea," 16 Aug. 2017
The next seven weeks will feature meaningful and exciting baseball in a passel of cities that might not get that jolt in a different playoff system.

— jonah keri, SI.com, "The 30: The Fantastically Mediocre AL Wild Card Race Is Heating Up," 14 Aug. 2017
At only a third of a pound, the Spiker (or even a passel of them) won't weigh down your beach bag.

— Philly.com, "Keep drinks sand-free at the beach with these holders," 2 July 2017
Cheaters (Gaylord Perry), legends who probably fixed games (Tris Speaker, Ty Cobb), and racists (Cap Anson and a passel of others) are already in the Hall.

— bill livingston, cleveland.com, "Cincinnati Reds' Pete Rose gets a statue; is Hall of Fame next? -- Bill Livingston (photos)," 29 June 2017
That brings Gillum's tally to five state representatives and three state senators, along with U.S. Rep. Alcee Hastings, D-Delray Beach, former HUD Secretary Julian Castro and a passel of county and city commissioners.

— dan sweeney, Sun-Sentinel.com, "Good, bad and ugly at Democrats' annual South Florida fundraiser," 19 June 2017
The genre remains resolutely vigorous, with production that throbs, chirps, shrieks and thumps, and a passel of sharp young vocalists who keep its underground vital.

— jon caramanica, New York Times, "Grime Sets Today’s Music Agenda in Britain, and Tomorrow’s," 19 May 2017
What could make a better, happier, cuddlier distraction for Cal State Fullerton students during finals week than a passel of puppies?

— wendy fawthrop, The Mercury News, "Cute photos of puppies licking to de-stress students during finals-week," 18 May 2017
What could make a better, happier, cuddlier distraction for Cal State Fullerton students during finals week than a passel of puppies?

— wendy fawthrop, The Mercury News, "Cute photos of puppies licking to de-stress students during finals-week," 18 May 2017

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

passel and Parcel

The loss of the sound of "r" after a vowel and before another consonant in the middle of a word is common in spoken English. This linguistic idiosyncrasy has given our language a few new words, such as cuss from curse, bust from burst, and our featured word passel from parcel. The spelling passel originated in the 15th century, but the word's use as a collective noun for an indefinite number is a 19th-century Americanism. It was common primarily in local-color writing before getting a boost in the 1940s, when it began appearing in popular weekly magazines such as Time, Newsweek, and Saturday Review.