Parcelling: meaning, definitions and examples

Etymology

• The word 'parcel' comes from the Middle English 'parcell', which meant a small part or fragment.
• Originally, 'parcel' was derived from the Old French 'parcelle' and can be traced back to Latin 'particula', meaning a small part.
• The practice of parcelling dates back to when goods needed careful division for trade purposes.

Commerce

• In retail, parcelling helps in organizing products for sale, making it easier for customers to purchase smaller quantities.
• E-commerce often utilizes parcelling when items are shipped separately based on packaging size or customer preferences.
• Parcel delivery services have grown significantly, especially with online shopping, showing the importance of effective parcelling.

Psychology

• Breaking tasks into smaller parts (parcelling) can reduce feelings of overwhelm and improve focus.
• Studies show that students who parcel their study sessions tend to retain information better than those who study for long, uninterrupted periods.
• Parcelling experiences into manageable segments can enhance personal reflection and learning.

Literature

• In poetry, parcelling can refer to the technique of dividing ideas into stanzas to create rhythm and flow.
• Many authors use parcelling in narratives to break the plot into digestible sections, maintaining reader interest.
• Classical writing sometimes parcels dialogue into smaller exchanges to emphasize character interaction.

Art

• In art, artists are known to parcel their work into series, allowing them to explore themes deeply across multiple pieces.
• The concept of parcelling can also be seen in installation art, where spaces are divided to focus on different sensory experiences.
• Cubism in painting can represent a type of parcelling, breaking objects into geometric shapes to analyze different perspectives.

Ranking #37,145, this word is encountered relatively rarely in everyday English. It might appear in literary works or specialized texts but isn't essential for general communication.

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• 37142 heckled
• 37143 splaying
• 37144 mythologized
• 37145 parcelling
• 37146 chutzpah
• 37147 wining
• 37148 bitterer
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