parcel

parcel is on the Basic English 850 List.

parallel - parcel - part

Pronunciation

• enPR: pärʹ-səl, IPA ^(key): /ˈpɑrsəl/
  • (AU) IPA ^(key): [ˈpʰaː.səɫ]
  • (UK) IPA ^(key): [ˈpʰɑː.səɫ]
  • (US) IPA ^(key): [ˈpʰɑr.səɫ]

  • Audio (US)

    (file)

• Hyphenation: par‧cel

Noun

Singular parcel

Plural parcels

1. A package; a box wrapped in paper; a thing bigger than a letter that is sent in the mail.

   On my birthday, I got a parcel in the mail.

2. A parcel of land is a piece of land that was part of a larger piece.

Verb

Plain form parcel

Third-person singular parcels

Past tense parcelled

Past participle parcelled

Present participle parcelling

Plain form parcel

Third-person singular parcels

Past tense parceled

Past participle parceled

Present participle parceling

1. If you parcel something out, you divide it into small parts to give to different people.

   The set of books was parcelled out among the people who were there.

2. If you parcel something off, you divide it into small parts to be sold to different people.
3. If you parcel something up, you make it into a parcel by wrapping it up.