Parcel /(?)/

Par·cel

Parcel

n.
  1. A portion of anything taken separately; a fragment of a whole; a part. [Archaic]
    Two parcels of the white of an egg.
    The parcels of the nation adopted different forms of self-government.
    — J. A. Symonds.
  2. A part; a portion; a piece; as, a certain piece of land is part and parcel of another piece. (Law)
  3. An indiscriminate or indefinite number, measure, or quantity; a collection; a group.
    This youthful parcel Of noble bachelors stand at my disposing.
  4. A number or quantity of things put up together; a bundle; a package; a packet.
    'Tis like a parcel sent you by the stage.

Phrases & Compounds
Bill of parcels
See under 6th Bill.
Parcel office
an office where parcels are received for keeping or forwarding and delivery.
Parcel post
that department of the post office concerned with the collection and transmission of parcels; also, the transmission through the parcel post deparment; as, to send a package by parcel post. See parcel post in the vocabulary.
Part and parcel
See under Part.

Parcel

v. t.

imp. & p. p. Parceled; p. pr. & vb. n. Parceling

  1. To divide and distribute by parts or portions; -- often with out or into.
    These ghostly kings would parcel out my power.
    The broad woodland parceled into farms.
  2. To add a parcel or item to; to itemize. [R.]
    That mine own servant should Parcel the sum of my disgraces by Addition of his envy.
  3. To make up into a parcel; as, to parcel a customer's purchases; the machine parcels yarn, wool, etc.

Phrases & Compounds
To parcel a rope
to wind strips of tarred canvas tightly arround it.
To parcel a seam
to cover it with a strip of tarred canvas.

Parcel

a. & adv.
  1. Part or half; in part; partially. [Sometimes hyphened with the word following.]
    The worthy dame was parcel-blind.
    — Sir W. Scott.
    One that . . . was parcel-bearded [partially bearded].

Phrases & Compounds
Parcel poet
a half poet; a poor poet.