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Webster 1913 Edition

Pack

Pack

(păk)
,
Noun.
[Cf.
Pact
.]
A pact.
[Obs.]
Daniel.

Pack

,
Noun.
[Akin to D.
pak
, G.
pack
, Dan.
pakke
, Sw.
packa
, Icel.
pakki
, Gael. & Ir.
pac
, Arm.
pak
. Cf.
Packet
.]
1.
A bundle made up and prepared to be carried; especially, a bundle to be carried on the back; a load for an animal; a bale, as of goods.
Piers Plowman.
2.
[Cf.
Peck
,
Noun.
]
A number or quantity equal to the contents of a pack; hence, a multitude; a burden.
“A pack of sorrows.” “A pack of blessings.”
Shak.
☞ “In England, by a pack of meal is meant 280 lbs.; of wool, 240 lbs.”
McElrath.
3.
A group or quantity of connected or similar things;
as, a
pack
of lies
;
specifically:
(a)
A full set of playing cards; a deck; also, the assortment used in a particular game;
as, a euchre
pack
.
(b)
A number of wolves, hounds or dogs, hunting or kept together;
as, a wolf
pack
.
(c)
A number of persons associated or leagued in a bad design or practice; a gang;
as, a
pack
of thieves or knaves
.
(d)
A shook of cask staves.
(e)
A bundle of sheet-iron plates for rolling simultaneously.
4.
A large area of floating pieces of ice driven together more or less closely.
Kane.
5.
An envelope, or wrapping, of sheets used in hydropathic practice, called
dry pack
,
wet pack
,
cold pack
, etc., according to the method of treatment.
6.
[Prob. the same word; but cf. AS.
pǣcan
to deceive.]
A loose, lewd, or worthless person. See
Baggage
.
[Obs.]
Skelton.
Pack animal
,
an animal, as a horse, mule, etc., employed in carrying packs.
–
Pack and prime road
or
Pack and prime way
,
a pack road or bridle way.
–
Pack cloth
,
a coarse cloth, often duck, used in covering packs or bales.
–
Pack horse
.
See
Pack animal
(above).
–
Pack ice
.
See def. 4, above.
–
Pack moth
(Zool.)
,
a small moth (
Anacampsis sarcitella
) which, in the larval state, is very destructive to wool and woolen fabrics.
–
Pack needle
,
a needle for sewing with pack thread.
Piers Plowman.
–
Pack saddle
,
a saddle made for supporting the load on a pack animal.
Shak.
–
Pack staff
,
a staff for supporting a pack; a peddler’s staff.
–
Pack train
(Mil.)
,
a troop of pack animals.

Pack

(păk)
,
Verb.
T.
[
imp. & p. p.
Packed
(păkt)
;
p. pr. & vb. n.
Packing
.]
[Akin to D.
pakken
, G.
packen
, Dan.
pakke
, Sw.
packa
, Icel.
pakka
. See
Pack
,
Noun.
]
1.
To make a pack of; to arrange closely and securely in a pack; hence, to place and arrange compactly as in a pack; to press into close order or narrow compass;
as, to
pack
goods in a box; to
pack
fish
.
Strange materials
packed
up with wonderful art.
Addison.
Where . . . the bones
Of all my buried ancestors are
packed
.
Shakespeare
2.
To fill in the manner of a pack, that is, compactly and securely, as for transportation; hence, to fill closely or to repletion; to stow away within; to cause to be full; to crowd into;
as, to
pack
a trunk; the play, or the audience,
packs
the theater.
And mighty dukes
pack
cards for half a crown.
Pope.
4.
Hence:
To bring together or make up unfairly and fraudulently, in order to secure a certain result; to stack{3};
as, to
pack
a jury or a caucus
.
The expected council was dwindling into . . . a
packed
assembly of Italian bishops.
Atterbury.
5.
To contrive unfairly or fraudulently; to plot.
[Obs.]
He lost life . . . upon a nice point subtilely devised and
packed
by his enemies.
Fuller.
6.
To load with a pack; hence, to load; to encumber;
as, to
pack
a horse
.
Our thighs
packed
with wax, our mouths with honey.
Shack.
7.
To cause to go; to send away with baggage or belongings; esp., to send away peremptorily or suddenly; to
send packing
; – sometimes with off;
as, to
pack
a boy off to school
.
He . . . must not die
Till George be
packed
with post horse up to heaven.
Shakespeare
8.
To transport in a pack, or in the manner of a pack (i. e., on the backs of men or beasts).
[Western U.S.]
9.
(Hydropathy)
To envelop in a wet or dry sheet, within numerous coverings. See
Pack
,
Noun.
, 5.
10.
(Mech.)
To render impervious, as by filling or surrounding with suitable material, or to fit or adjust so as to move without giving passage to air, water, or steam;
as, to
pack
a joint; to
pack
the piston of a steam engine.

Pack

,
Verb.
I.
1.
To make up packs, bales, or bundles; to stow articles securely for transportation.
2.
To admit of stowage, or of making up for transportation or storage; to become compressed or to settle together, so as to form a compact mass;
as, the goods
pack
conveniently; wet snow
packs
well.
3.
To gather in flocks or schools;
as, the grouse or the perch begin to
pack
.
[Eng.]
4.
To depart in haste; – generally with
off
or
away
.
Poor Stella must
pack
off to town
Swift.
You shall
pack
,
And never more darken my doors again.
Tennyson.
5.
To unite in bad measures; to confederate for ill purposes; to join in collusion.
[Obs.]
“Go pack with him.”
Shak.
To send packing
,
to drive away; to send off roughly or in disgrace; to dismiss unceremoniously.
“The parliament . . . presently sent him packing.”
South.

Webster 1828 Edition

Pack

PACK

,
Noun.
[See the Verb.]
1.
A bundle of any thing inclosed in a cover or bound fast with cords; a bale; as a pack of goods or cloth. The soldier bears a pack on his back.
2.
A burden or load; as a pack of sorrows.
3.
A number of cards, or the number used in games; so called from being inclosed together.
4.
A number of hounds or dogs, hunting or kept together, that is, a crowd or assemblage united.
5.
A number of persons united in a bad design or practice; as a pack of thieves or knaves.
6.
A great number crowded together; as a pack of troubles. [Not used.]
7.
A loose or lewd person. [Not used.]

PACK

,
Verb.
T.
[L. pango, pactum, pactus; impingo, compingo.]
1.
To place and press together; to place in close order; as, to pack goods in a box or chest.
2.
To put together and bind fast; as, to pack any thing for carriage with cords or straps.
3.
To put in close order with salt intermixed; as, to pack meat or fish in barrels.
4.
To send in haste.
5.
To put together, as cards, in such a manner as to secure the game; to put together in sorts with a fraudulent design, as cards; hence, to unite persons iniquitously, with a view to some private interest; as, to pack a jury, that is, to select persons for a jury who may favor a party; to pack a parliament; to pack an assembly of bishops.

PACK

,
Verb.
I.
To be pressed or close; as, the goods pack well.
1.
To close; to shut.
2.
To depart in haste; with off.
Poor Stella must pack off to town.
3.
To unite in bad measures; to confederate for ill purposes; to join in collusion.
Go, pack with him.

Definition 2024

Pack

Pack

See also: pack

German

Noun

Pack m, n ‎(genitive Packs or Packes, plural Packs or Packe)

  1. package, bundle, bunch, (unwieldy) bag

Usage notes

  • The plural Packs is more common in speech. The plural Packe is more common in writing.
  • The noun is predominantly masculine. At least regionally, it also occurs as a neuter. (For the always neuter noun meaning “rabble”, see below.)

Synonyms

Derived terms

Noun

Pack n ‎(genitive Packs or Packes, no plural)

  1. (pejorative or humorous) rabble, mob, vermin, rascals
    Pack schlägt sich, Pack verträgt sich.
    Rascals beat each other up and rascals make up again.
    Die Fans von [...] sind ein dreckiges Pack!
    The supporters of [football club] are dirty vermin!

pack

pack

See also: Pack

English

Noun

pack ‎(plural packs)

  1. A bundle made up and prepared to be carried; especially, a bundle to be carried on the back; a load for an animal; a bale, as of goods.
    The horses carried the packs across the plain.
  2. A number or quantity equal to the contents of a pack; hence, a multitude; a burden.
    a pack of lies
  3. A number or quantity of connected or similar things; a collective.
  4. A full set of playing cards; also, the assortment used in a particular game; as, a euchre pack.
    We were going to play cards, but nobody brought a pack.
  5. A number of hounds or dogs, hunting or kept together.
    • 2005, John D. Skinner and Christian T. Chimimba, The Mammals of the Southern African Subregion‎
      African wild dogs hunt by sight, although stragglers use their noses to follow the pack.
  6. A number of persons associated or leagued in a bad design or practice; a gang.
    a pack of thieves or knaves
  7. A group of Cub Scouts.
  8. A shook of cask staves.
  9. A bundle of sheet-iron plates for rolling simultaneously.
  10. A large area of floating pieces of ice driven together more or less closely.
    The ship had to sail round the pack of ice.
  11. (medicine) An envelope, or wrapping, of sheets used in hydropathic practice, called dry pack, wet pack, cold pack, etc., according to the method of treatment.
  12. (slang): A loose, lewd, or worthless person.
  13. (snooker, pool) A tight group of object balls in cue sports. Usually the reds in snooker.
  14. (rugby) The team on the field.

Synonyms

(full set of cards): deck

Derived terms

Translations

Verb

pack ‎(third-person singular simple present packs, present participle packing, simple past and past participle packed)

  1. (physical) To put or bring things together in a limited or confined space, especially for storage or transport.
    1. (transitive) To make a pack of; to arrange closely and securely in a pack; hence, to place and arrange compactly as in a pack; to press into close order or narrow compass.
      to pack goods in a box;  to pack fish‎
      • (Can we date this quote?) Joseph Addison
        strange materials packed up with wonderful art
      • (Can we date this quote?) William Shakespeare
        Where […] the bones / Of all my buried ancestors are packed.
    2. (transitive) To fill in the manner of a pack, that is, compactly and securely, as for transportation; hence, to fill closely or to repletion; to stow away within; to cause to be full; to crowd into.
      to pack a trunk;  the play, or the audience, packs the theater‎
      • 1935, George Goodchild, chapter 5, in Death on the Centre Court:
        By one o'clock the place was choc-a-bloc. […] The restaurant was packed, and the promenade between the two main courts and the subsidiary courts was thronged with healthy-looking youngish people, drawn to the Mecca of tennis from all parts of the country.
    3. (transitive) To envelop in a wet or dry sheet, within numerous coverings.
      The doctor gave Kelly some sulfa pills and packed his arm in hot-water bags.‎
    4. (transitive) To render impervious, as by filling or surrounding with suitable material, or to fit or adjust so as to move without giving passage to air, water, or steam.
      to pack a joint;  to pack the piston of a steam engine;  pack someone's arm with ice.‎
    5. (intransitive) To make up packs, bales, or bundles; to stow articles securely for transportation.
    6. (intransitive) To admit of stowage, or of making up for transportation or storage; to become compressed or to settle together, so as to form a compact mass.
      the goods pack conveniently;  wet snow packs well‎
    7. (intransitive) To gather in flocks or schools.
      the grouse or the perch begin to pack‎
    8. (transitive, historical) To combine (telegraph messages) in order to send them more cheaply as a single transmission.
  2. (social) To cheat, to arrange matters unfairly.
    1. (transitive, card games) To sort and arrange (the cards) in a pack so as to secure the game unfairly.
      • (Can we date this quote?) Alexander Pope
        Mighty dukes pack cards for half a crown.
    2. (transitive) To bring together or make up unfairly and fraudulently, in order to secure a certain result.
      to pack a jury‎
      • (Can we date this quote?) Francis Atterbury
        The expected council was dwindling into […] a packed assembly of Italian bishops.
    3. (transitive) To contrive unfairly or fraudulently; to plot.
      • (Can we date this quote?) Thomas Fuller
        He lost life […] upon a nice point subtilely devised and packed by his enemies.
    4. (intransitive) To unite in bad measures; to confederate for ill purposes; to join in collusion.
  3. (transitive) To load with a pack; hence, to load; to encumber.
    to pack a horse‎
    • (Can we date this quote?) William Shakespeare
      our thighs packed with wax, our mouths with honey
  4. To move, send or carry.
    1. (transitive) To cause to go; to send away with baggage or belongings; especially, to send away peremptorily or suddenly; – sometimes with off. See pack off.
      to pack a boy off to school‎
      • (Can we date this quote?) William Shakespeare
        Till George be packed with post horse up to heaven.
    2. (transitive, US, Western US) To transport in a pack, or in the manner of a pack (i. e., on the backs of men or animals).
    3. (intransitive) To depart in haste; – generally with off or away.
      • (Can we date this quote?) Jonathan Swift
        Poor Stella must pack off to town.
      • (Can we date this quote?) Alfred Tennyson
        You shall pack, / And never more darken my doors again.
    4. (transitive, slang) To carry weapons, especially firearms, on one's person.
  5. (transitive, sports, slang) To block a shot, especially in basketball.
  6. (intransitive, LGBT slang, of a drag king, transman, etc.) To wear a simulated **** inside one’s trousers for better verisimilitude.

Synonyms

  • (To sort and arrange (the cards) in a pack so as to secure the game unfairly): stack

Antonyms

Derived terms

Translations

French

Noun

pack m ‎(plural packs)

  1. pack (item of packaging)
  2. pack ice
  3. (sports) A rugby team

Spanish

Etymology

English

Noun

pack m ‎(plural packs)

  1. pack, package
  2. kit, set, bundle

Swedish

Noun

pack n

  1. a group of unwanted people, lower class people, trash
  2. stuff, things, luggage; only in the expression pick och pack

Declension

See also

Etymology

From German Low German. Akin to, and possibly borrowed from, Dutch pak.

Pronunciation

  • Rhymes: -ak

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