parcel

IPA/ˈpɑːsl/

KK[pˈɑrsəl]IPA/ˈpɑːrsl/

parcelsingular
parcelsplural

1.nounB1

Definition

one item, or a group of items, wrapped together in paper, plastic, or a box — usually ready to be posted, carried home, or handed over as a present.

Example

A small brown parcel from Lina's grandmother arrived just before her birthday.

a parcel from [person] (sent through the post)

Marcus signed for the parcel at the door and carried it into the kitchen.

sign for / collect a parcel

Common collocations

a brown paper parcel
a small / large parcel
send a parcel
deliver a parcel
open a parcel
sign for a parcel

Synonyms

package
the standard American English word; interchangeable in most everyday contexts
bundle
things tied or wrapped loosely together, often without paper
packet
smaller, usually a sealed paper or plastic envelope (a packet of seeds)

Grammar Patterns

a parcel of [items]

send / deliver / open a parcel

Usage Note

Mainly British English. American English usually says 'package' for the same thing, and reserves 'parcel' for legal land use (sense 2) or fixed phrases like 'part and parcel'.

Common Mistakes

I sent a parcels to my sister.

I sent a parcel to my sister.

'parcel' is countable, so use the singular with 'a'.

2.nounB2

Definition

a marked-off section of ground that is owned, sold, or treated as one unit — typically used in property contracts, farming, or planning records.

Example

The Watanabe family sold a small parcel of land beside the river to a fruit grower.

a parcel of land (treated as one ownership unit)

Each parcel on the village map is numbered and recorded in the council office.

parcel as a numbered unit on a land record

Common collocations

a parcel of land
a parcel of farmland
a vacant parcel
a disputed parcel
buy / sell / inherit a parcel

Synonyms

plot
a small marked piece of land, often for one house or one garden
lot
American English, typical for a building site (a vacant lot)
tract
a larger area of land, often undeveloped (a tract of forest)

Grammar Patterns

a parcel of land

a parcel of [number] acres / hectares

Usage Note

Formal and common in legal, real-estate, and planning contexts. Often paired with a size measurement (acres, hectares) or a number identifying it on an official map. Distinguish from sense 1: this sense is never wrapped — it is a piece of ground.

Common Mistakes

They bought a parcel land in the hills.

They bought a parcel of land in the hills.

the preposition 'of' is required after 'parcel' here.

Idioms

part and parcel of something

idiom

a feature or condition so deeply tied to something that it cannot be separated from it — the bad as well as the good.

Late nights are part and parcel of working in the restaurant trade.

For Lina, missing family birthdays was part and parcel of life as a touring musician.

parcelpresent simple I / you / we / they
parcels3rd person singular
parceling-ing form
parceledpast simple

1.verbtransitiveB2

Definition

to wrap an item or set of items neatly so they form a single bundle ready to post, store, or give away.

Example

Sarah parcelled the old books in brown paper and tied them with string.

parcel something in [paper]

Marcus parcelled up the leftover cake and put it in the fridge for the morning.

parcel something up (very common with 'up')

Common collocations

parcel up the leftovers
parcel something in brown paper
neatly parcelled

Synonyms

wrap
the everyday word; doesn't need the items to form a single sendable bundle
bundle
tie things together loosely, often without paper
package
more often used for goods prepared for sale or shipping

Antonyms

unwrap
remove the wrapping

Grammar Patterns

parcel something (up)

parcel something in [paper / cloth]

Usage Note

Often appears with the particle 'up' ('parcel up'), with no real change in meaning. The double-l spelling 'parcelled / parcelling' is British; American English uses 'parceled / parceling'.

Common Mistakes

She parceled the books on a sheet of paper.

She parcelled the books in a sheet of paper.

use 'in' (or no preposition) for what wraps the items, not 'on'.

2.verbtransitiveC1

Definition

to split a larger amount of something — money, work, land, or food — into smaller shares and give one share to each person or group.

Example

The manager parcelled out the new tasks to four junior designers on Monday morning.

parcel out [tasks] to [people]

After the harvest, Carlos parcelled the rice among the families that had helped in the fields.

parcel [resource] among [a group]

Common collocations

parcel out the work
parcel out the land
parcel out the profits

Synonyms

distribute
the everyday word; covers any kind of spreading out
allocate
more formal; often used for money or official resources
apportion
formal; emphasises a fair share for each part

Antonyms

consolidate
join smaller parts back into one whole

Grammar Patterns

parcel something out (to / among / between somebody)

Usage Note

Almost always followed by 'out'. Object is usually a finite resource (land, money, tasks, food). Distinguish from sense 1: here nothing is wrapped — the focus is on dividing and distributing shares.

Common Mistakes

The teacher parcelled out the questions for each student.

The teacher parcelled out the questions to each student.

use 'to' (or 'among' / 'between') for the recipient, not 'for'.

3.verbtransitiveC2

Definition

in sailing and rope-craft, to wrap a rope tightly with thin canvas bands (or strong tape) so the surface stays dry and does not chafe.

Example

The old sailor parcelled the rope with thin canvas before binding it with twine.

parcel [a rope] with [canvas]

Apprentices on the schooner learned to parcel cables so saltwater could not soak in.

nautical context: parcel cables against water

Common collocations

parcel a rope
parcel with canvas
worm, parcel, and serve

Synonyms

wrap
everyday word; doesn't carry the rope-protection meaning
bind
tie tightly, but without the canvas-strip technique

Grammar Patterns

parcel [a rope / cable] with [canvas / tape]

Usage Note

Specialised nautical and rope-craft term. Most learners will only meet it in books about sailing, knots, or maritime history. Often part of the fixed sequence 'worm, parcel, and serve' — three steps for protecting a rope.

Phrasal verbs

parcel something out

phrasal verb

to split a supply of work, money, food, or land into shares and give one share to each person involved.

The coach parcelled out the new training drills among the four assistant coaches.

The charity parcels out food packages to families across the valley every Friday.

parcel something up

phrasal verb

to wrap items together so they form one neat bundle, usually for posting, storing, or giving away.

Sarah parcelled up her old winter coats and dropped them at the charity shop.

The farmer parcels up fresh eggs in straw before driving them to the weekend market.

Word family

parcelled
verb (past / British spelling)B2
parceled
verb (past / American spelling)B2
package
noun (American equivalent of 'parcel' sense 1)A2

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All four words describe items wrapped together, but they differ in size, formality, and which side of the Atlantic uses them. 'Parcel' is the everyday British word for something wrapped to be posted or carried — typically tied or sealed, and often given as a present. American speakers usually say 'package' in the same situations, and use 'parcel' mostly in legal or formal contexts (a parcel of land, part and parcel). 'Packet' is smaller and more uniform, often a sealed paper or plastic envelope (a packet of crisps, a packet of seeds). 'Bundle' is the loosest of the four — a bunch of things tied together, often without paper at all, like a bundle of newspapers or a bundle of clothes. So a postman delivers a parcel (UK) or a package (US); a shop sells a packet of biscuits; a recycler ties up a bundle of cardboard.

parcel ↗package ↗packet ↗bundle ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

parcel post
parcel delivery
parcel office
brown paper parcel
parcel of land

Adverbs

neatly parcelled
carefully parcelled

Phrases

sign for a parcel
deliver a parcel
open a parcel
parcel of farmland
part and parcel of

Prepositions

a parcel of [land / books]
a parcel from [sender]
parcel something to / among / between [people]
parcel something in [paper / cloth]

Etymology

LatinVulgar LatinOld FrenchMiddle EnglishEnglish

English took 'parcel' from Old French 'parcelle' in the late 1300s, meaning a small piece or portion. The French word came from Vulgar Latin 'particella', a shortened form of Latin 'particula', the diminutive of 'pars' meaning 'part' — the same root that gives English 'particle' and 'partial'. The earliest English uses kept the 'small portion' meaning, which is why 'parcel of land' and 'part and parcel' still feel natural today. The 'wrapped package' meaning grew later, in the 1600s, from the idea of a parcel as one set portion of goods bundled together for sending.

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parcel

parcel — noun

1. one item, or a group of items, wrapped together in paper, plastic, or a box — us

Grammar Patterns

Usage Note

Common Mistakes

2. a marked-off section of ground that is owned, sold, or treated as one unit — typ

Grammar Patterns

Usage Note

Common Mistakes

part and parcel of something

parcel — verb

1. to wrap an item or set of items neatly so they form a single bundle ready to pos

Grammar Patterns

Usage Note

Common Mistakes

2. to split a larger amount of something — money, work, land, or food — into smalle

Grammar Patterns

Usage Note

Common Mistakes

3. in sailing and rope-craft, to wrap a rope tightly with thin canvas bands (or str

Grammar Patterns

Usage Note

parcel something out

parcel something up

parcel — adjective

1. only part of the way, not full or whole — used before a noun, mostly in older or

Grammar Patterns

Usage Note

parcel — adverb

1. only in part, not completely — surviving today mainly in the fixed term 'parcel-

Grammar Patterns

Usage Note

Word family

Synonym discussion

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

Prepositions

Etymology

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