Packet

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈpækɪt/

Definitions

1. A small collection of things wrapped or bundled together for easy handling or transport ; a formatted unit of digital information sent across a network to convey data
2. An item or set of items packaged as one unit for carrying or selling ; a discrete piece of data structured for transmission in communications systems
3. A compact grouping of objects tied or enclosed together for distribution or use ; a chunk of data prepared for sending over electronic or computer networks

Etymology: The word arrived in Middle English as "pacquet," and its ancestry is less tidy than a single borrowing. It may have come straight from Middle French "pacquet," or English speakers may have built it independently from "pak," the root of "pack," plus the diminutive ending "-et." Either way, the core idea is the same: something small, bundled up, and ready to be carried. That sense of a tied-up bundle is what the word still carries. A parcel sent through the post, a small bundle of goods, or a single item wrapped for travel all fit the original picture. The later extension to electronic networks follows the same logic, since a chunk of data is cut, wrapped and sent as one unit across a line.

Synonyms: bundle, package, parcel, container, box