\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}.

\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.

\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.