# packet

/ˈpækət/ (US) · /pˈækɪt/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/packet
Updated: 2026-07-22

## Senses

### 1. small container

noun · CEFR B1 · British English

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

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

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

noun · CEFR B2 · Informal

a very large amount of money.

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

- That new car must have cost him a packet.
- 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'.

### 3. digital data

noun · CEFR C1 · Technical

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

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

- The video was blurry because some data packets were lost during the download.
- Network congestion can lead to packet loss, which significantly degrades the quality of real-time voice and video communication.

### 4. mail boat

noun · CEFR C2 · Archaic

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

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

- In the nineteenth century, the packet arrived twice a week with news from overseas.
- The transatlantic packet was the primary means of communication between the colonies and the mainland before the advent of the telegraph.

### 5. to bundle

verb · CEFR B2

to put things together into a small package.

For teachers: to wrap or consolidate items into a packet or bundle.

- The workers had to packet the dried herbs before they could be shipped to stores.
- The automated system is designed to packet the components efficiently, reducing the overall volume for international shipping.

## Examples

- He opened a packet of sugar for his coffee.
- The gardener bought a packet of sunflower seeds to plant along the back fence.
- While the physical packet contained only a few grams of spice, the digital packet carrying the order confirmation traveled across the globe in milliseconds.

---

From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.