pack

n. [ Akin to D. pak, G. pack, Dan. pakke, Sw. packa, Icel. pakki, Gael. & Ir. pac, Arm. pak. Cf. Packet. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

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. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. [ Cf. Peck, n. ] 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. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ “In England, by a pack of meal is meant 280 lbs.; of wool, 240 lbs.” McElrath. [ 1913 Webster ]

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. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. A large area of floating pieces of ice driven together more or less closely. Kane. [ 1913 Webster ]

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. [ 1913 Webster ]

6. [ Prob. the same word; but cf. AS. p&aemacr_;can to deceive. ] A loose, lewd, or worthless person. See Baggage. [ Obs. ] Skelton. [ 1913 Webster ]

7. (Med.) In hydropathic practice, a wrapping of blankets or sheets called dry pack, wet pack, cold pack, etc., according to the condition of the blankets or sheets used, put about a patient to give him treatment; also, the fact or condition of being so treated. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

8. (Rugby Football) The forwards who compose one half of the scrummage; also, the scrummage. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

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. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Cf. Pact. ] A pact. [ Obs. ] Daniel. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. 1. To make up packs, bales, or bundles; to stow articles securely for transportation. [ 1913 Webster ]

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. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. To gather in flocks or schools; as, the grouse or the perch begin to pack. [ Eng. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

4. To depart in haste; -- generally with off or away. [ 1913 Webster ]

Poor Stella must pack off to town Swift. [ 1913 Webster ]

You shall pack,
And never more darken my doors again. Tennyson. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. To unite in bad measures; to confederate for ill purposes; to join in collusion. [ Obs. ] “Go pack with him.” Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

To send packing, to drive away; to send off roughly or in disgrace; to dismiss unceremoniously. “The parliament . . . presently sent him packing.” South. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. Act or process of packing. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A bundle made up for transportation; a packet; a bale; a parcel; as, a package of goods. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. A charge made for packing goods. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. A duty formerly charged in the port of London on goods imported or exported by aliens, or by denizens who were the sons of aliens. [ 1913 Webster ]

adj. Enclosed in a package{ 2 } or protective covering; as, packaged cereals. [ Narrower terms: prepackaged, pre-packaged, prepacked ] unpackaged, loose
Syn. -- wrapped, done up. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

adj. 1. Same as jammed.
Syn. -- full, jammed, jam-packed. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

2. Crowded; as, the theater was packed. [ PJC ]

n. 1. A person whose business is to pack things; especially, one who packs food for preservation or for the market; as, a pork packer. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A ring of packing or a special device to render gas-tight and water-tight the space between the tubing and bore of an oil well. [ U. S. ] [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

prop. n. A genus of American or East Asian perennial herbs with yellow to orange or red flower rays; it is sometimes included in genus Senecio.
Syn. -- genus Packera. [ WordNet 1.5 ]