What is "parcel post"

Parcel \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; also, the transmission through the parcel post deparment; as, to send a package by parcel post. See parcel post in the vocabulary.

   Part and parcel. See under Part.

Parcel post \Par"cel post\ That branch of the post office having to do with the collection, transmission, and delivery of parcels[4]. The British Inland Parcel Post was established in 1883. The rates in 1913, dating from 1897, were 3d. for parcels not exceeding one pound and 1d. for each additional pound up to the limit of 10 pounds. A general parcel post was established in the United States by Act of August 24, 1912, which took effect Jan. 1, 1913. At that time, parcels could not exceed 11 pounds in weight nor 72 inches in length and girth combined. Provision is made from insuring parcels, and also for sending parcels C.O.D. The rates of postage vary with the distance. See Zone, below.

alt. A postal service involving the shipping of parcels. n. A postal service involving the shipping of parcels.

n. postal service that handles packages

Parcel post is a postal service for mail that is too heavy for normal letter post. It is usually slower than letter post. The development of the parcel post is closely connected with the development of the railway network which enabled parcels to be carried in bulk, to a regular schedule and at economic prices. Today many parcels also travel by road and international shipments may travel by sea or airmail.