noun
packet
A small package or a formatted unit of data sent through a network.
Where it comes from
Packet ordinarily means a small package or a formatted unit of data sent through a network. Packet entered Middle English through Anglo-French pacquet and Germanic pack, with the diminutive -et: a small pack or parcel. Early packets often contained letters or dispatches, and packet boats carried such mail. Networking reused the parcel image.
How the meaning developed
Packet switching divides a larger message into small addressed units that can travel separately and be reassembled, making each unit a little package of data.
Sources
Definitions adapted from Open English WordNet where applicable. License and attribution. Word-history text comes from Lexifour’s sourced social research; pages are assembled automatically, not individually fact-checked on every update.
Updated 2026-10-05. Report a correction.