/ pæk; NAmE / verb , noun
■ verb
PUT INTO CONTAINER
1.
to put clothes, etc. into a bag in preparation for a trip away from home :
[ v ]
I haven't packed yet.
[ vn ]
I haven't packed my suitcase yet.
He packed a bag with a few things and was off.
He packed a few things into a bag.
Did you pack the camera?
[ vnn ]
I've packed you some food for the journey.
2.
[ vn ] pack sth (up) (in / into sth) to put sth into a container so that it can be stored, transported or sold :
The pottery was packed in boxes and shipped to the US.
I carefully packed up the gifts.
OPP unpack
PROTECT
3.
[ vn ] pack sth (in / with sth) to protect sth that breaks easily by surrounding it with soft material :
The paintings were carefully packed in newspaper.
PRESERVE FOOD
4.
[ vn ] pack sth (in sth) to preserve food in a particular substance :
fish packed in ice
FILL
5.
to fill sth with a lot of people or things :
[ v + adv. / prep. ]
We all packed together into one car.
[ vn ]
Fans packed the hall to see the band.
—see also packed out , packed
SNOW / SOIL
6.
[ vn ] pack sth (down) to press sth such as snow or soil to form a thick hard mass :
Pack the earth down around the plant.
a patch of packed snow
CARRY GUN
7.
( NAmE , informal ) to carry a gun :
[ vn ]
to pack a gun
[ v ]
Is he packing?
STORM
8.
[ vn ] to have sth :
A storm packing 75 mph winds swept across the area last night.
•
IDIOMS
- pack a (powerful, real, etc.) punch
- pack your bags
—more at send
•
PHRASAL VERBS
- pack away
- pack sth away
- pack sb in
- pack sth in
- pack sb/sth in / into sth
- pack into sth
- pack sb off (to ... )
- pack sth out
- pack up
- pack up | pack sth up
■ noun
CONTAINER
1.
[ C ] ( especially NAmE ) a container, usually made of paper, that holds a number of the same thing or an amount of sth, ready to be sold :
a pack of cigarettes / gum
You can buy the disks in packs of ten.
—compare package , packet
—see also flat-pack , six-pack
SET
2.
[ C ] a set of different things that are supplied together for a particular purpose :
Send for your free information pack today.
THINGS TIED FOR CARRYING
3.
[ C ] a number of things that are wrapped or tied together, especially for carrying :
donkeys carrying packs of wool
( figurative )
Everything she told us is a pack of lies (= a story that is completely false) .
LARGE BAG
4.
[ C ] a large bag that you carry on your back :
We passed a group of walkers, carrying huge packs.
—see also backpack , fanny pack
OF ANIMALS
5.
[ C +sing./pl. v . ] a group of animals that hunt together or are kept for hunting :
packs of savage dogs
wolves hunting in packs
a pack of hounds
OF PEOPLE
6.
[ C +sing./pl. v . ] a group of similar people or things, especially one that you do not like or approve of :
We avoided a pack of journalists waiting outside.
He's the leader of the pack.
7.
[ C +sing./pl. v . ] all the people who are behind the leaders in a race, competition, etc. :
measures aimed at keeping the company ahead of the pack
OF CARDS
8.
( BrE ) (also deck NAmE , BrE ) [ C ] a complete set of 52 playing cards :
a pack of cards
OF CUBS / BROWNIES
9.
[ C +sing./pl. v . ] an organized group of Cubs/Cub Scouts or Brownies :
to join a Brownie pack
FOR WOUND
10.
[ C ] a hot or cold piece of soft material that absorbs liquid, used for treating a wound
—see also ice pack , face pack , mud pack
•
IDIOMS
see joker
••
WORD ORIGIN
Middle English : from Middle Dutch , Middle Low German pak (noun), pakken (verb). The verb appears appears early in Anglo-Latin and Anglo-Norman French in connection with the wool trade; trade in English wool was chiefly with the Low Countries.