PACK (2)

pack (2). Pack, v.t. to bind up for carriage, to sort cards, to put down meat in salt, to pick a jury

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Pack, n. [[Akin to D. pak, G. pack, Dan. pakke, Sw. packa, Icel. pakki, Gael. & Ir. pac, Arm. pak. Cf. Packet.]] 1. 1. A bundle made up and prepared to be carried; especially, a bundle to be carried on the back; a load for an animal; a bale, as of goods. Piers Plowman.
2. 2. [[Cf. Peck, n.]] A number or quantity equal to the contents of a pack; hence, a multitude; a burden. “A pack of sorrows.” “A pack of blessings.” Shak.
☞ “In England, by a pack of meal is meant 280 lbs.; of wool, 240 lbs.” McElrath. 3. 3. A number or quantity of connected or similar things; as: (a) A full set of playing cards; also, the assortment used in a particular game; as, a euchre pack. (b) A number of hounds or dogs, hunting or kept together. (c) A number of persons associated or leagued in a bad design or practice; a gang; as, a pack of thieves or knaves. (d) A shook of cask staves. (e) A bundle of sheet-iron plates for rolling simultaneously.
4. 4. A large area of floating pieces of ice driven together more or less closely. Kane.
5. 5. An envelope, or wrapping, of sheets used in hydropathic practice, called dry pack, wet pack, cold pack, etc., according to the method of treatment.
6. 6. [[Prob. the same word; but cf. AS. p�can to deceive.]] A loose, lewd, or worthless person. See Baggage. Skelton.
Pack animal, an animal, as a horse, mule, etc., employed in carrying packs. — Pack cloth, a coarse cloth, often duck, used in covering packs or bales. — Pack horse. See Pack animal (above). — Pack ice. See def. 4, above. — Pack moth (Zoöl.), a small moth (Anacampsis sarcitella) which, in the larval state, is very destructive to wool and woolen fabrics. — Pack needle, a needle for sewing with pack thread. Piers Plowman. — Pack saddle, a saddle made for supporting the load on a pack animal. Shak. — Pack staff, a staff for supporting a pack; a peddler's staff. — Pack thread, strong thread or small twine used for tying packs or parcels. — Pack train (Mil.), a troop of pack animals.