noun
parcel
PAHR-suhl
noun
1
A wrapped package prepared for shipping or delivery.
"A parcel arrived on the doorstep this morning."
"She wrapped the gift into a neat brown parcel."
2
A distinct piece or plot of land.
"The developer bought several adjoining parcels of land."
verb
1
To divide something into portions and distribute it, often with "out."
"The estate was parcelled out among the four siblings."
How to Use Parcel
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA wrapped package, or a distinct portion of something (often land) marked off from the rest.
Easily confused with
Common pairings
parcel of land
deliver a parcel
parcel out
Word Forms
parceled past tense, parcelled past tense, parcels plural, parcels singular
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Etymology
From Old French parcelle, "a small piece or part," from Latin particula ("particle") — parcel and particle are doublets, both descending from the same Latin root.