pack

1
[ pak ]
See synonyms for: packpackedpackerpackest on Thesaurus.com

noun
  1. a group of things wrapped or tied together for easy handling or carrying; a bundle, especially one to be carried on the back of an animal or a person: a mule pack; a hiker's pack.

  2. a definite quantity or standard measure of something wrapped up or otherwise assembled for merchandising (sometimes used in combination): a pack of cigarettes; a six-pack of beer.

  1. the quantity of something that is packaged, canned, or the like, at one time, in one season, etc.: last year's salmon pack.

  2. a group of people or things: a pack of fools; a pack of lies.

  3. a group of certain animals of the same kind, especially predatory ones: a pack of wolves.

  4. Hunting. a number of hounds, especially foxhounds and beagles, regularly used together in a hunt.

  5. a complete set of playing cards, usually 52 in number; deck.

  6. a considerable area of pieces of floating ice driven or packed together.

  7. Metalworking. a pile of metal sheets for hot-rolling together.

  8. Medicine/Medical.

    • a wrapping of the body in wet or dry cloths for therapeutic purposes.

    • the cloths so used.

    • Obsolete. the state of being so wrapped.

  9. Mining.

    • Also called pack wall . a rubble wall for supporting a roof.

    • any of various other roof supports of timber, timber and rubble, or rubble and wire mesh.

  10. a cosmetic material, usually of a pastelike consistency, applied either to the face or to the hair and scalp: a mud pack; a beauty pack; a henna pack.

  11. Obsolete. a plot; conspiracy.

  12. Obsolete. a low or worthless person.

verb (used with object)
  1. to make into a pack or bundle.

  2. to form into a group or compact mass.

  1. to fill with anything compactly arranged: to pack a trunk.

  2. to put into or arrange compactly in a trunk, valise, etc., as for traveling or storage: I packed a two-week supply of clothes for the trip.

  3. to press or crowd together within; cram: The crowd packed the gallery.

  4. to prepare for marketing by putting into containers or packages: to pack fruit for shipping.

  5. to make airtight, vaportight, or watertight by stuffing: to pack the piston of a steam engine.

  6. to cover or envelop with something pressed closely around.

  7. to load, as with packs: We packed the mules and then set off for the lake.

  8. to carry or wear, especially as part of one's usual equipment: to pack a gun.

  9. Informal. to deliver (a powerful blow, strong message, etc.): He packs a better punch than any heavyweight in years.His speech packed a powerful plea for peace.

  10. to treat with a therapeutic pack.

verb (used without object)
  1. to place goods into containers in compact form, as for transportation or storage (often followed by up): I've packed up for the move, so I can't access my fabrics.

  2. to place clothes and personal items in a suitcase, trunk, etc., preparatory to traveling: Make sure to pack lightly for this trip to Italy!

  1. to be capable of or suitable for compact storage or packing for transportation: articles that pack well.

  2. to crowd together, as persons: The audience packed into the auditorium.

  3. to become compacted: Wet snow packs readily.

  4. to collect into a group: The grouse began to pack.

  5. to wear or carry a weapon, especially a gun: If she's arrested while she's packing, the sentence might be harsher.

  6. to create a penile bulge in the crotch of one’s clothing using a prosthesis, padding, or other object of phallic shape, often done by gender-diverse people as part of their gender expression: I wasn't going to pack today, but I didn't feel as comfortable without it.

adjective
  1. transporting, or used in transporting, a pack or load: pack animals.

  2. compressed into a pack; packed.

  1. used in or adapted for packing: pack equipment.

  2. Chiefly Scot. (of animals) tame.

Verb Phrases
  1. pack in / up to relinquish or give up; quit: One failure was no reason to pack the whole experiment in.After thirty years of touring, the violinist packed his career up and retired.

  2. pack off / away

    • to dispatch: We packed the kids off to camp for the summer.

    • to leave hastily.

Idioms about pack

  1. pack it in,

    • to give up; abandon one's efforts: Ten years ago we packed it in and moved back to Florida.

    • to cease being a nuisance.

Origin of pack

1
First recorded in 1175–1225; Middle English noun pak, packe, from Middle Dutch pac, or perhaps Middle Low German pak; the verb is derivative of the noun

synonym study For pack

1. See package. 5. See flock1

Other words for pack

Words Nearby pack

Other definitions for pack (2 of 3)

pack2
[ pak ]

verb (used with object)
  1. to choose, collect, arrange, or manipulate (cards, persons, facts, etc.) so as to serve one's own purposes: to pack the deck; to pack a jury.

Origin of pack

2
First recorded in 1520–30; perhaps variant of pact

Other definitions for pack (3 of 3)

pack3
[ pak ]

adjective
  1. Scot. very friendly or intimate.

Origin of pack

3
First recorded in 1780–90; perhaps special use of pack1

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use pack in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for pack (1 of 2)

pack1

/ (pæk) /


noun
    • a bundle or load, esp one carried on the back

    • (as modifier): a pack animal

  1. a collected amount of anything

  1. a complete set of similar things, esp a set of 52 playing cards

  2. a group of animals of the same kind, esp hunting animals: a pack of hounds

  3. any group or band that associates together, esp for criminal purposes

  4. rugby the forwards of a team or both teams collectively, as in a scrum or in rucking

  5. the basic organizational unit of Cub Scouts and Brownie Guides

    • a small package, carton, or container, used to retail commodities, esp foodstuffs, cigarettes, etc

    • (in combination): pack-sealed

  6. US and Canadian a small or medium-sized container of cardboard, paper, etc, often together with its contents: Also called (in Britain and certain other countries): packet

  7. short for pack ice

  8. the quantity of something, such as food, packaged for preservation

  9. med

    • a sheet or blanket, either damp or dry, for wrapping about the body, esp for its soothing effect

    • a material such as cotton or gauze for temporarily filling a bodily cavity, esp to control bleeding

  10. short for backpack, rucksack

  11. mining a roof support, esp one made of rubble

  12. short for face pack

  13. a parachute folded and ready for use

  14. computing another name for deck (def. 5)

  15. go to the pack Australian and NZ informal to fall into a lower state or condition

verb
  1. to place or arrange (articles) in (a container), such as clothes in a suitcase

  2. (tr) to roll up into a bundle

  1. (when passive, often foll by out) to press tightly together; cram: the audience packed into the foyer; the hall was packed out

  2. (tr; foll by in or into) to fit (many things, experiences, etc) into a limited space or time: she packed a lot of theatre visits into her holiday

  3. to form (snow, ice, etc) into a hard compact mass or (of snow, ice, etc) to become compacted

  4. (tr) to press in or cover tightly: to pack a hole with cement

  5. (tr) to load (a horse, donkey, etc) with a burden

  6. (often foll by off or away) to send away or go away, esp hastily

  7. (tr) to seal (a joint) by inserting a layer of compressible material between the faces

  8. (tr) to fill (a bearing or gland) with grease to lubricate it

  9. (tr) to separate (two adjoining components) so that they have a predetermined gap between them, by introducing shims, washers, plates, etc

  10. (tr) med to treat with a pack

  11. (tr) slang to be capable of inflicting (a blow): he packs a mean punch

  12. (tr) US informal to carry or wear habitually: he packs a gun

  13. (intr often foll by down) rugby to form a scrum

  14. (tr; often foll by into, to, etc) US, Canadian and NZ to carry (goods), esp on the back: will you pack your camping equipment into the mountains?

  15. pack one's bags informal to get ready to leave

  16. send packing informal to dismiss peremptorily

Origin of pack

1
C13: related to Middle Low German pak, of obscure origin

Derived forms of pack

  • packable, adjective

British Dictionary definitions for pack (2 of 2)

pack2

/ (pæk) /


verb
  1. (tr) to fill (a legislative body, committee, etc) with one's own supporters: to pack a jury

Origin of pack

2
C16: perhaps changed from pact

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Idioms and Phrases with pack

pack

In addition to the idioms beginning with pack

  • pack a punch
  • packed in like sardines
  • pack it in
  • pack off
  • pack them in

also see:

  • Joe six-pack
  • send someone about his or her business (packing)

The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.