parcel
parcel — noun
1. one item, or a group of items, wrapped together in paper, plastic, or a box — us
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.
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
The post office charges by weight, so heavy parcels cost more to send abroad.
Sarah tied the parcel with red string and stuck a paper label on top.
The children sat in a circle and passed the parcel until the music stopped.
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
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.
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
Developers have bought several parcels along the coast and plan to build holiday homes.
Carlos inherited a five-hectare parcel of farmland from his uncle in Mendoza.
The court ruled that the disputed parcel belongs to the city, not the railway company.
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 — verb
1. to wrap an item or set of items neatly so they form a single bundle ready to pos
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.
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')
The shop staff carefully parcelled each vase before loading the boxes onto the van.
Aunt Rosa parcelled the jam jars in cloth so they would not break in the post.
- 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
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.
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]
The estate was parcelled out between three cousins after their grandfather died.
Dr. Tanaka parcelled the lab budget into small grants for each research team.
- 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
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.
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
Each towline was carefully parcelled and then served with tarred twine for protection.
The museum guide showed how riggers used to parcel the ship's heavy mooring lines.
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 — adjective
1. only part of the way, not full or whole — used before a noun, mostly in older or
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.
a parcel owner (only partial ownership)
Nineteenth-century records list many parcel workers who farmed only a few hours a week.
parcel worker (an old term for part-time labourer)
Historians describe Maya's great-grandfather as a parcel landlord with three small tenants.
A parish letter from 1782 describes the elderly weaver Thomas Hale as parcel-blind in his right eye.
- 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 — adverb
1. only in part, not completely — surviving today mainly in the fixed term 'parcel-
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.
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.
parcel-gilt + [object] (antiques / silverware)
The Victorian inventory lists three parcel-gilt candlesticks worth more than the plain pair.
Auction catalogues still describe certain old chalices as parcel-gilt rather than fully gold-plated.
- 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'.