Standard Lemma guide

packet

noun · verb · 17 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • Received-Pronunciation: /ˈpæk.ɪt/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • General-American: /ˈpæk.ɪt/
  • /ˈpæk.ət/ weak vowel merger
  • rhymes with -ækɪt
  • CMU ARPABET: P AE1 K AH0 T Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
  • CMU ARPABET 2: P AE1 K IH0 T Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

A small pack or package; a little bundle or parcel

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • Don't throw the crisp packet on the floor!
  • a packet of letters
  • a packet of biscuits
  • (archaic) a travel bag containing clothing, nightwear and other accessories.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

Originally, a vessel employed by government to convey dispatches or mails; hence, a vessel employed in conveying dispatches, mails, passengers, and goods, and having fixed days of sailing; a mail boat. Packet boat, ship, vessel (Wikipedia).

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: nautical, transport

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

A specimen envelope containing small, dried plants or containing parts of plants when attached to a larger sheet.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: biology, botany, natural-sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

A small fragment of data as transmitted on some types of network, notably Ethernet networks (Wikipedia).

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: computing, engineering, mathematics, natural-sciences, networking, physical-sciences, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

noun

Meaning 5

A protocol data unit of the Internet Protocol.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: computing, engineering, mathematics, natural-sciences, networking, physical-sciences, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

noun

Meaning 6

A message sent over a transport layer protocol.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: computing, engineering, mathematics, natural-sciences, networking, physical-sciences, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

7

noun

Meaning 7

A plastic bag.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: South-Africa

Examples

  • 2012 August 6, Wendy Knowler, Plastic packets: who bags the profits?

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

8

noun

Meaning 8

Synonym of package (“male genitalia”).

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: slang

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: package

Antonyms: none provided

9

noun

Meaning 9

A large amount of money.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: informal

Examples

  • It'll cost a packet to fix this.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

10

verb

Meaning 10

To make up into a packet or bundle.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

11

verb

Meaning 11

To send in a packet or dispatch vessel.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

12

verb

Meaning 12

To ply with a packet or dispatch boat.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: intransitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

13

verb

Meaning 13

To subject to a denial-of-service attack in which a large number of data packets are sent.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: Internet, transitive

Examples

  • 2007, Committee on Improving Cybersecurity Research in the United States, Toward a Safer and More Secure Cyberspace Typically, one hacker will annoy another; the offended party replies by launching a denial-of-service attack against the offender. These attacks—known as packeting—tend to be of limited duration [...]

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

14

noun

Meaning 14

a boat for carrying mail

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: mailboat, mail boat, packet boat

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: boat

15

noun

Meaning 15

a small package or bundle

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: package, parcel

Narrower terms: deck

16

noun

Meaning 16

(computer science) a message or message fragment

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: message

17

noun

Meaning 17

a collection of things wrapped or boxed together

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: package, bundle, parcel

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: collection, aggregation, accumulation, assemblage

Narrower terms: wisp

History

Etymology

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

Across languages

Translations

141 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Albanian: pako — small pack
  • Albanian: paketë — small pack
  • Arabic: حُزْمَة (ḥuzma) — small pack
  • Arabic: رَبْطَة (rabṭa) — small pack
  • Arabic: رِزْمَة (rizma) — small pack
  • Arabic: صُرّة (ṣurra) — small pack
  • Arabic: عُلْبَة (ʕulba) — small pack
  • Armenian: կապոց (kapocʻ) — small pack
  • Armenian: փաթեթ (pʻatʻetʻ) — small pack
  • Azerbaijani: paket — small pack
  • Bangi: liboke — small pack
  • Bangi: ebimba — small pack
  • Basque: pakete — small pack
  • Belarusian: паке́т (pakjét) — small pack
  • Belarusian: па́чка (páčka) — small pack
  • Bengali: প্যাকেট (pêkeṭ) — small pack
  • Bengali: মোড়ক (mōṛok) — small pack
  • Bulgarian: паке́тче (pakétče) — small pack
  • Bulgarian: паке́т (pakét) — small pack
  • Burmese: အထုပ် (a.htup) — small pack
  • Catalan: paquet — small pack
  • Chinese Mandarin: 包 (bāo) — small pack
  • Chinese Mandarin: 小包 (xiǎobāo) — small pack
  • Chinese Mandarin: 包裹 (bāoguǒ) — small pack
  • Czech: balíček — small pack
  • Danish: pakke — small pack
  • Dutch: pakket — small pack
  • Dutch: pak — small pack
  • Esperanto: pako — small pack
  • Estonian: pakett — small pack
  • Estonian: pakk — small pack
  • Finnish: paketti — small pack
  • French: paquet — small pack
  • Georgian: პაკეტი (ṗaḳeṭi) — small pack
  • German: Päckchen — small pack
  • German: Packung — small pack
  • Greek: πακέτο (pakéto) — small pack
  • Greek: δέμα (déma) — small pack
  • Hebrew: חֲבִילָה (khavilá) — small pack
  • Hindi: पुड़िया (puṛiyā) — small pack
  • Hindi: पैकेट (paikeṭ) — small pack
  • Hindi: पुलिंदा (pulindā) — small pack
  • Hindi: लिफ़ाफ़ा (lifāfā) — small pack
  • Hungarian: csomag — small pack
  • Hungarian: tasak — small pack
  • Icelandic: pakki — small pack
  • Italian: pacchetto — small pack
  • Italian: pacco — small pack
  • Japanese: パケット (paketto) — small pack
  • Japanese: 小包 (kodzutsumi) — small pack
  • Japanese: 包み (tsutsumi) — small pack
  • Kazakh: пакет (paket) — small pack
  • Kazakh: байлам (bailam) — small pack
  • Kazakh: бума (buma) — small pack
  • Kazakh: будақ (budaq) — small pack
  • Kazakh: буда (buda) — small pack
  • Kazakh: қорап (qorap) — small pack
  • Khmer: បេ (pav) — small pack
  • Khmer: សំណុំ (sɑmnom) — small pack
  • Korean: 패킷 (paekit) — small pack
  • Korean: 소포 (sopo) — small pack
  • Korean: 짐 (jim) — small pack
  • Korean: 꾸러미 (kkureomi) — small pack
  • Kyrgyz: пакет (paket) — small pack
  • Kyrgyz: пачка (packa) — small pack
  • Kyrgyz: байлам (baylam) — small pack
  • Lao: ຫໍ່ (hǭ) — small pack
  • Latin: fascis — small pack
  • Latvian: paciņa — small pack
  • Latvian: paka — small pack
  • Lingala: liboke — small pack
  • Lingala: ebimba — small pack
  • Lingala: mobombo — small pack
  • Lithuanian: pakelis — small pack
  • Lithuanian: paketas — small pack
  • Macedonian: пакет (paket) — small pack
  • Māori: pākete — small pack
  • Māori: tatai — small pack
  • Mongolian: пакет (paket) — small pack
  • Mongolian: баглаа (baglaa) — small pack
  • Norman: patchet — small pack
  • Norwegian: pakke — small pack
  • Persian: پاکت (pâkat) — small pack
  • Persian: بسته (baste) — small pack
  • Polish: paczka — small pack
  • Portuguese: pacote — small pack
  • Romanian: pachet — small pack
  • Russian: паке́т (pakét) — small pack
  • Russian: па́чка (páčka) — small pack
  • Scottish Gaelic: pacaid — small pack
  • Serbo-Croatian: замотуљак — small pack
  • Serbo-Croatian: пакет — small pack
  • Serbo-Croatian: zamotuljak — small pack
  • Serbo-Croatian: paket — small pack
  • Sicilian: pachettu — small pack
  • Slovak: balíček — small pack
  • Slovene: paket — small pack
  • Slovene: paketek — small pack
  • Slovene: zavojček — small pack
  • Slovene: zavitek — small pack
  • Slovene: škatlica — small pack
  • Slovene: vrečka — small pack
  • Spanish: paquete — small pack
  • Swahili: pakiti — small pack
  • Swedish: paket — small pack
  • Tajik: бандча (bandča) — small pack
  • Tajik: даста (dasta) — small pack
  • Tajik: қутти (qutt-i) — small pack
  • Tajik: баста (basta) — small pack
  • Tajik: пакет (paket) — small pack
  • Thai: ห่อ (hɔ̀ɔ) — small pack
  • Turkish: paket — small pack
  • Turkmen: paket — small pack
  • Ukrainian: паке́т (pakét) — small pack
  • Ukrainian: па́чка (páčka) — small pack
  • Uzbek: paket — small pack
  • Uzbek: pachka — small pack
  • Uzbek: bogʻlam — small pack
  • Vietnamese: gói — small pack
  • Welsh: pecyn — small pack
  • Welsh: paced — small pack
  • Bulgarian: пощенски кораб (poštenski korab) — vessel to convey mail
  • Finnish: paketti — vessel to convey mail
  • French: paquet — vessel to convey mail
  • French: colis — vessel to convey mail
  • Finnish: paketti — small fragment of data
  • French: paquet — small fragment of data
  • German: Paket — small fragment of data
  • Greek: πακέτο (pakéto) — small fragment of data
  • Hungarian: adatcsomag — small fragment of data
  • Norwegian: pakke — small fragment of data
  • Polish: pakiet — small fragment of data
  • Portuguese: packet — small fragment of data
  • Romanian: pachet de date — small fragment of data
  • Romanian: pachet — small fragment of data
  • Russian: паке́т (pakét) — small fragment of data
  • Spanish: paquete — small fragment of data
  • Swedish: paket — small fragment of data
  • Bulgarian: опаковам (opakovam) — (transitive) make into a packet
  • Finnish: paketoida — (transitive) make into a packet
  • Swedish: paketera — (transitive) make into a packet
Real reading context

packet in complete knowledge articles

Patrick Henry (packet) Technology & inventions · Challenging · 28 uses Ancillary data Arts & music · Challenging · 18 uses Donald McKay People & society · Developing · 16 uses Fair queuing Technology & inventions · Challenging · 12 uses Manchester (1805 ship) Technology & inventions · Challenging · 9 uses NetBIOS Technology & inventions · Challenging · 8 uses Network Time Protocol Technology & inventions · Advanced · 7 uses Optical disc recording technologies Technology & inventions · Advanced · 7 uses