packet
Americannoun
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a small group or package of anything.
a packet of letters.
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Also called packet ship. Also called packet boat,. a small vessel that carries mail, passengers, and goods regularly on a fixed route, especially on rivers or along coasts.
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Cards. a part of a pack of cards after being cut.
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Informal. a large amount of money.
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Computers. a relatively small unit of data sent over a network.
Every email you send and web page you browse is transferred to and from your device in a series of packets.
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British Slang.
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a painful blow or beating.
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misfortune or failure.
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verb (used with object)
noun
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Usual US and Canadian word: package. pack. a small or medium-sized container of cardboard, paper, etc, often together with its contents
a packet of biscuits
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a small package; parcel
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Also called: packet boat. a boat that transports mail, passengers, goods, etc, on a fixed short route
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slang a large sum of money
to cost a packet
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computing a unit into which a larger piece of data is broken down for more efficient transmission See also packet switching
verb
Related Words
See package .
Etymology
Origin of packet
First recorded in 1520–30; from Middle French pacquet, equivalent to pacqu(er) pack 1 + -et -et
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
"We're only eating white rice. Hopefully I can get enough money together in the next couple of days for a packet of hot dogs, or three or four eggs."
From BBC
"We do a good service, we get tins, packets, jars, chilled goods, frozen items," Haywood said.
From BBC
She, Lizzie, and two female friends boarded a nighttime Erie Canal packet boat.
From Literature
"Will MLAs have to wait a year and threaten to go on strike to get the money or will it slide into their pay packet very quickly?"
From BBC
Seated around the living room, Guinnip and his siblings dig into packets filled with appraisals and farm history as they discuss plans for land potentially worth millions of dollars.
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
