parcel
/ˈpɑːsl/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈpɑːrsl/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈpär-səl/ (ame, mw)
parcel — 名詞
- parcelsingular
- parcelsplural
1. one item, or a group of items, wrapped together in paper, plastic, or a box — us
包裹
包好用來寄送或攜帶的物品
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.
A small brown parcel from Lina's grandmother arrived just before her birthday.
生日前夕，Lina 收到祖母寄來的一個棕色小包裹。
a parcel from [person] (sent through the post)
Marcus signed for the parcel at the door and carried it into the kitchen.
Marcus 在門口簽收了包裹，把它拿進廚房。
sign for / collect a parcel
The post office charges by weight, so heavy parcels cost more to send abroad.
郵局按重量計費，所以重的包裹寄到國外比較貴。
Sarah tied the parcel with red string and stuck a paper label on top.
Sarah 用紅色繩子綁好包裹，並在上面貼了張紙標籤。
The children sat in a circle and passed the parcel until the music stopped.
孩子們圍成一圈傳包裹，等音樂一停就停下來。
文法句型
a parcel of [items]
send / deliver / open a parcel
用法筆記
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'.
常見錯誤
2. a marked-off section of ground that is owned, sold, or treated as one unit — typ
地塊；田地
登記為一個單位的土地
a marked-off section of ground that is owned, sold, or treated as one unit — typically used in property contracts, farming, or planning records.
The Watanabe family sold a small parcel of land beside the river to a fruit grower.
渡邊家把河邊一小塊土地賣給一位果農。
a parcel of land (treated as one ownership unit)
Each parcel on the village map is numbered and recorded in the council office.
村里地圖上每一塊地都有編號，並登錄在鄉公所。
parcel as a numbered unit on a land record
Developers have bought several parcels along the coast and plan to build holiday homes.
建商沿著海岸買下好幾塊土地，計畫蓋度假屋。
Carlos inherited a five-hectare parcel of farmland from his uncle in Mendoza.
Carlos 從門多薩的叔叔那裡繼承了一塊五公頃的農地。
The court ruled that the disputed parcel belongs to the city, not the railway company.
法院判定這塊有爭議的土地屬於市政府，而不是鐵路公司。
文法句型
a parcel of land
a parcel of [number] acres / hectares
用法筆記
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.
常見錯誤
parcel — 動詞
- parcelpresent simple I / you / we / they
- parcels3rd person singular
- parceling-ing form
- parceledpast simple
1. to wrap an item or set of items neatly so they form a single bundle ready to pos
包；打包
把物品仔細包成一捆
to wrap an item or set of items neatly so they form a single bundle ready to post, store, or give away.
Sarah parcelled the old books in brown paper and tied them with string.
Sarah 用牛皮紙把舊書包起來，再用繩子綁好。
parcel something in [paper]
Marcus parcelled up the leftover cake and put it in the fridge for the morning.
Marcus 把吃剩的蛋糕包好，放進冰箱留到隔天早上。
parcel something up (very common with 'up')
The shop staff carefully parcelled each vase before loading the boxes onto the van.
店員仔細地把每只花瓶包好，才把箱子搬上貨車。
Aunt Rosa parcelled the jam jars in cloth so they would not break in the post.
Rosa 阿姨把果醬罐用布包起來，這樣寄送途中才不會破。
- unwrap
remove the wrapping
文法句型
parcel something (up)
parcel something in [paper / cloth]
用法筆記
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'.
常見錯誤
2. to split a larger amount of something — money, work, land, or food — into smalle
分配；分發
將整體分成小份分給各方
to split a larger amount of something — money, work, land, or food — into smaller shares and give one share to each person or group.
The manager parcelled out the new tasks to four junior designers on Monday morning.
經理在週一早上把新任務分配給四位資淺設計師。
parcel out [tasks] to [people]
After the harvest, Carlos parcelled the rice among the families that had helped in the fields.
收成過後，Carlos 把稻米分給曾在田裡幫忙的那些家庭。
parcel [resource] among [a group]
The estate was parcelled out between three cousins after their grandfather died.
祖父過世後，這片產業被三位堂兄弟分掉了。
Dr. Tanaka parcelled the lab budget into small grants for each research team.
Tanaka 醫師把實驗室預算切成小額補助，分給每個研究團隊。
- 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
- consolidate
join smaller parts back into one whole
文法句型
parcel something out (to / among / between somebody)
用法筆記
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.
常見錯誤
3. in sailing and rope-craft, to wrap a rope tightly with thin canvas bands (or str
纏裹；包覆
用帆布條纏繞繩索以防磨損
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.
The old sailor parcelled the rope with thin canvas before binding it with twine.
老水手用薄帆布把繩索纏繞起來，再用麻線綁牢。
parcel [a rope] with [canvas]
Apprentices on the schooner learned to parcel cables so saltwater could not soak in.
帆船上的學徒學著用帆布纏繞纜繩，這樣海水才不會滲進去。
nautical context: parcel cables against water
Each towline was carefully parcelled and then served with tarred twine for protection.
每條拖纜都先仔細纏裹好，再用塗上柏油的麻線繞上一層保護。
The museum guide showed how riggers used to parcel the ship's heavy mooring lines.
博物館導覽員示範索具工從前如何把船上沉重的繫纜纏裹起來。
文法句型
parcel [a rope / cable] with [canvas / tape]
用法筆記
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.
parcel — 形容詞
- parcelpositive
- more parcelcomparative
- most parcelsuperlative
1. only part of the way, not full or whole — used before a noun, mostly in older or
部分的；兼職
只佔一部份、非全份的
only part of the way, not full or whole — used before a noun, mostly in older or specialised writing.
The old contract refers to him as a parcel owner of the family mill.
舊合約上記載他是家族磨坊的部分業主。
a parcel owner (only partial ownership)
Nineteenth-century records list many parcel workers who farmed only a few hours a week.
十九世紀的紀錄列出許多每週只下田幾小時的部分勞工。
parcel worker (an old term for part-time labourer)
Historians describe Maya's great-grandfather as a parcel landlord with three small tenants.
歷史學家描述 Maya 的曾祖父是有三位小佃農的部分地主。
A parish letter from 1782 describes the elderly weaver Thomas Hale as parcel-blind in his right eye.
1782 年的一封教區信函記載年邁織工 Thomas Hale 的右眼半盲。
- full
complete; covering the whole share or time
文法句型
a parcel [worker / owner]
用法筆記
Very rare in modern English; mostly found in legal documents, old wills, and historical writing. Modern writers nearly always use 'part-time', 'partial', or 'part-' compounds instead.
parcel — 副詞
1. only in part, not completely — surviving today mainly in the fixed term 'parcel-
部分地
並非全部，只佔一部份
only in part, not completely — surviving today mainly in the fixed term 'parcel-gilt', meaning partly covered with gold.
The museum displayed a parcel-gilt silver cup that once belonged to a Tudor merchant.
博物館展出一只局部鍍金的銀杯，曾屬於一位都鐸時期的商人。
parcel-gilt (partly covered in gold) — the most common modern use
Each parcel-gilt spoon in the collection had a thin band of gold along the handle.
收藏中每一支局部鍍金的湯匙，握柄上都有一條細細的金邊。
parcel-gilt + [object] (antiques / silverware)
The Victorian inventory lists three parcel-gilt candlesticks worth more than the plain pair.
維多利亞時期的清冊上列出三座局部鍍金的燭台，價值高過那對素面的。
Auction catalogues still describe certain old chalices as parcel-gilt rather than fully gold-plated.
拍賣目錄如今仍把某些古老聖杯描述為局部鍍金，而不是整體鍍金。
- wholly
completely; in full
文法句型
parcel + [adjective] (e.g. 'parcel-gilt')
用法筆記
Almost never used on its own in modern English. Survives chiefly in the compound 'parcel-gilt' (silver objects partly gilded) and in some legal phrases. For everyday writing, use 'partly' or 'partially'.