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packet

n. · v.
US //ˈpækət// UK //pˈækɪt// pack·et
  1. 1 small container (n.)
    B1 Intermediate British English

    a small paper or plastic container for holding a specific amount of something.

    a small pack, package, or envelope used to contain a specific quantity of goods.

    Example

    He bought a packet of biscuits to share with his friends during the break.

    Example

    The instructions on the back of the seed packet suggested planting them in early spring to ensure a late summer bloom.

    Usage

    Commonly used with 'of' followed by the contents (e.g., a packet of cigarettes, a packet of crisps).
  2. 2 a lot of money (n.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate Informal

    a very large amount of money.

    a substantial sum of money, typically referring to earnings or costs.

    Example

    That new car must have cost him a packet.

    Example

    After the company went public, the early investors made a packet and retired before they were forty.

    Usage

    Often used with the verbs 'cost', 'make', or 'earn'.
    • pittance
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  1. 3 digital data (n.)
    C1 Advanced Technical Computing

    a small piece of information sent over the internet or a computer network.

    a unit of data transmitted over a network, containing a payload and a header with routing information.

    Example

    The video was blurry because some data packets were lost during the download.

    Example

    Network congestion can lead to packet loss, which significantly degrades the quality of real-time voice and video communication.
    • data unit
  2. 4 mail boat (n.)
    C2 Proficiency Archaic Nautical

    a boat or ship that carries mail, passengers, and goods on a regular schedule.

    a vessel employed by a government or company to convey dispatches, mail, and passengers on fixed dates.

    Example

    In the nineteenth century, the packet arrived twice a week with news from overseas.

    Example

    The transatlantic packet was the primary means of communication between the colonies and the mainland before the advent of the telegraph.
    • mail boat
    • packet boat
  3. 5 to bundle (v.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate

    to put things together into a small package.

    to wrap or consolidate items into a packet or bundle.

    Example

    The workers had to packet the dried herbs before they could be shipped to stores.

    Example

    The automated system is designed to packet the components efficiently, reducing the overall volume for international shipping.
Origin

From Middle English pacquet; either from Middle French pacquet, or formed independently from pak and -et.

Idioms2 entries

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