n. [ F. parcelle a small part, fr. (assumed) LL. particella, dim. of L. pars. See Part, n., and cf. Particle. ] 1. A portion of anything taken separately; a fragment of a whole; a part. [ Archaic ] “A parcel of her woe.” Chaucer. [ 1913 Webster ]

Two parcels of the white of an egg. Arbuthnot. [ 1913 Webster ]

The parcels of the nation adopted different forms of self-government. J. A. Symonds. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Law) A part; a portion; a piece; as, a certain piece of land is part and parcel of another piece. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. An indiscriminate or indefinite number, measure, or quantity; a collection; a group. [ 1913 Webster ]

This youthful parcel
Of noble bachelors stand at my disposing. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. A number or quantity of things put up together; a bundle; a package; a packet. [ 1913 Webster ]

'Tis like a parcel sent you by the stage. Cowper. [ 1913 Webster ]

Bill of parcels. See under 6th Bill. --
Parcel office, an office where parcels are received for keeping or forwarding and delivery. --
Parcel post, that department of the post office concerned with the collection and transmission of parcels; also, the transmission through the parcel post deparment; as, to send a package by parcel post. See parcel post in the vocabulary. --
Part and parcel. See under Part. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Parceled r Parcelled; p. pr. & vb. n. Parceling or Parcelling. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

1. To divide and distribute by parts or portions; -- often with out or into. “Their woes are parceled, mine are general.” Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

These ghostly kings would parcel out my power. Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

The broad woodland parceled into farms. Tennyson. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To add a parcel or item to; to itemize. [ R. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

That mine own servant should
Parcel the sum of my disgraces by
Addition of his envy. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. To make up into a parcel; as, to parcel a customer's purchases; the machine parcels yarn, wool, etc. [ 1913 Webster ]

To parcel a rope (Naut.), to wind strips of tarred canvas tightly arround it. Totten. --
To parcel a seam (Naut.), to cover it with a strip of tarred canvas. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. & adv. Part or half; in part; partially. Shak. [ Sometimes hyphened with the word following. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

The worthy dame was parcel-blind. Sir W. Scott. [ 1913 Webster ]

One that . . . was parcel-bearded [ partially bearded ]. Tennyson. [ 1913 Webster ]

Parcel poet, a half poet; a poor poet. [ Obs. ] B. Jonson. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Written also parcelling. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

1. The act of dividing and distributing in portions or parts. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Naut.) Long, narrow slips of canvas daubed with tar and wound about a rope like a bandage, before it is served; used, also, in mousing on the stayes, etc. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. [ See Parcel, and Meal a part. ] By parcels or parts. [ Obs. ] Chaucer. [ 1913 Webster ]

. That branch of the post office having to do with the collection, transmission, and delivery of parcels{ 4 }. The British Inland Parcel Post was established in 1883. The rates in 1913, dating from 1897, were 3d. for parcels not exceeding one pound and 1d. for each additional pound up to the limit of 10 pounds. A general parcel post was established in the United States by Act of August 24, 1912, which took effect Jan. 1, 1913. At that time, parcels could not exceed 11 pounds in weight nor 72 inches in length and girth combined. Provision is made from insuring parcels, and also for sending parcels C.O.D. The rates of postage vary with the distance. See Zone, below. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. +PJC ]