Crossword Dictionary

What's The Definition Of Parcel?

\Par"cel\, n. [F. parcelle a small part, fr. (assumed) LL. particella, dim. of L. pars. See {Part}, n., and cf. {Particle}.] 1. A portion of anything taken separately; a fragment of a whole; a part. [Archaic] ``A parcel of her woe.'' --Chaucer. Two parcels of the white of an egg. --Arbuthnot. The parcels of the nation adopted different forms of self-government. --J. A. Symonds. 2. (Law) A part; a portion; a piece; as, a certain piece of land is part and parcel of another piece. 3. An indiscriminate or indefinite number, measure, or quantity; a collection; a group. This youthful parcel Of noble bachelors stand at my disposing. --Shak. 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. --Cowper. {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. {Part and parcel}. See under {Part}.
\Par"cel\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Parceled}or {Parcelled}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Parceling} or {Parcelling}.] 1. To divide and distribute by parts or portions; -- often with out or into. ``Their woes are parceled, mine are general.'' --Shak. These ghostly kings would parcel out my power. --Dryden. The broad woodland parceled into farms. --Tennyson. 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. --Shak. 3. To make up into a parcel; as, to parcel a customer's purchases; the machine parcels yarn, wool, etc. {To parcel a rope} (Naut.), to wind strips of tarred canvas tightly arround it. --Totten. {To parcel a seam} (Naut.), to cover it with a strip of tarred canvas.
\Par"cel\, a. & adv. Part or half; in part; partially. --Shak. [Sometimes hyphened with the word following.] The worthy dame was parcel-blind. --Sir W. Scott. One that . . . was parcel-bearded [partially bearded]. --Tennyson. {Parcel poet}, a half poet; a poor poet. [Obs.] --B. Jonson.