A small container or bundle of something, or a unit of data transmitted across a network in computing.
From Middle French 'paquet,' derived from 'pac' meaning 'pack' with the diminutive suffix '-et.' First used in English in the 1500s for a small pack or bundle. In computing (1960s), scientists borrowed the term for small units of data transmitted separately.
The internet's entire foundation rests on 'packets'—your email gets broken into tiny packets, sent different routes across the globe, and reassembled at the destination. The word predates computers by 400 years, but it's the perfect metaphor for how the internet works like a postal system!
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.