Source : Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)

Parcel \Par"cel\, 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.

            Two parcels of the white of an egg.   --Arbuthnot.

            The parcels of the nation adopted different forms of
            self-government.                      --J. A.
                                                  Symonds.

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

   3. An indiscriminate or indefinite number, measure, or
      quantity; a collection; a group.

            This youthful parcel Of noble bachelors stand at my
            disposing.                            --Shak.

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

            'Tis like a parcel sent you by the stage. --Cowper.

   {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.

   {Part and parcel}. See under {Part}.

Parcel \Par"cel\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Parceled}or {Parcelled};
   p. pr. & vb. n. {Parceling} or {Parcelling}.]
   1. To divide and distribute by parts or portions; -- often
      with out or into. ``Their woes are parceled, mine are
      general.'' --Shak.

            These ghostly kings would parcel out my power.
                                                  --Dryden.

            The broad woodland parceled into farms. --Tennyson.

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

            That mine own servant should Parcel the sum of my
            disgraces by Addition of his envy.    --Shak.

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

   {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.

Parcel \Par"cel\, a. & adv.
   Part or half; in part; partially. --Shak. [Sometimes hyphened
   with the word following.]

         The worthy dame was parcel-blind.        --Sir W.
                                                  Scott.

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

   {Parcel poet}, a half poet; a poor poet. [Obs.] --B. Jonson.

Source : WordNet®

parcel
     n 1: a wrapped container [syn: {package}]
     2: the result of parcelling out or sharing; "death gets more
        than its share of attention from theologicans" [syn: {portion},
         {share}]
     3: an extended area of land [syn: {tract}, {piece of land}, {piece
        of ground}, {parcel of land}]
     4: a collection of things wrapped or boxed together [syn: {package},
         {bundle}, {packet}]
     [also: {parcelling}, {parcelled}]

parcel
     v 1: divide into parts; "The developers parceled the land"
     2: cover with strips of canvas; "parcel rope"
     3: make into a wrapped container
     [also: {parcelling}, {parcelled}]