passel

noun

pas·​sel ˈpa-səl How to pronounce passel (audio)
: a large number or amount

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Passel and Parcel

Loss of the sound of "r" after a vowel and before a consonant in the middle of a word is common in spoken English. This linguistic idiosyncrasy has given the language a few new words, including cuss from curse, bust from burst, and passel from parcel.

Examples of passel in a Sentence

reporters had a whole passel of questions for the new basketball coach the young couple helped a passel of students in the span of a few years
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Hiccup’s passel of fellow trainees are a barrel of laughs with Harry Trevaldwyn (Tuffnut), Bronwyn James (Ruffnut), Julian Dennison (Fishlegs), and Gabriel Howell (Snotlout) bringing the majority of the film’s comic relief (and delivering it without ever overplaying the jokes). Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 10 June 2025 She’s got hidden agendas, a whole passel of them that arrive in the form of red flags the movie just about waves in our faces. Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 16 May 2025 As Valentine’s Day nears, Lisa Wright, manning the crafts table, watched as a passel of girls quickly and carefully worked to dig out the best colorful beads to crowd onto a plastic band, crafting small token reminders of the evening. Jesse Wright, Chicago Tribune, 11 Feb. 2025 The two take the reins of the company as its corporate parent splits itself in two, keeping the NBC and Telemundo broadcast networks, the Bravo cable network, theme parks and movie operations in one entity and a passel of cable networks and digital properties in the other. Brian Steinberg, Variety, 20 Nov. 2024 See All Example Sentences for passel

Word History

Etymology

alteration of parcel

First Known Use

1835, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of passel was in 1835

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Cite this Entry

“Passel.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/passel. Accessed 18 Jun. 2025.

Kids Definition

passel

noun
pas·​sel ˈpas-əl How to pronounce passel (audio)
: a large number : group
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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