parcel
PAHR-suhl
/ˈpɑːrsəl/
An object or collection of objects wrapped in paper, especially for mailing; a package.
Often implies a traditional, paper-wrapped package tied with string, though it is used in British English as the standard word for any mailed package.
The story behind the word. The word 'parcel' shares its ancestry with 'part' and 'particle'. Originally, in the 14th century, a 'parcel' meant a small piece or portion of something (a meaning preserved in the idiom 'part and parcel'). Over time, merchants used the word to describe a small portion of goods wrapped up together for transport, which eventually became our modern word for a package.
Word relationships
- package: 'Package' is the standard modern term, especially in American English, and can refer to plastic, cardboard, or paper containers.
- packet: A 'packet' is a very small, flat package, usually containing papers or small quantities of a substance (like sugar).
Commonly confused with
- bundle: A 'bundle' is a collection of things tied together but not necessarily wrapped in paper, whereas a 'parcel' is fully enclosed.
Word family
- parceled (verb): Past tense of parcel (often used as 'parceled out' meaning divided).
- parceling (verb): The act of dividing or wrapping.
Collocations
- postal parcel
- wrap a parcel
- deliver a parcel
- parcel post
Idioms & expressions
- part and parcel
Example sentences
- "The postman left a heavy parcel on the front porch." A delivery arriving at the door.
Memory hook
A 'parcel' is a 'part' of a shipment sent to a 'cell' (address). A parcel is a part of the mail.
When not to use
In American English, 'package' is far more common; 'parcel' can sound slightly old-fashioned or formal in the US unless referring to real estate (a parcel of land).
Fun facts
- In legal terminology, a 'parcel' still refers to a specific, defined piece of real estate (a 'parcel of land'), completely separate from the mailing definition.
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