See also: pack-in and packin'

English

edit

Pronunciation

edit

Verb

edit

pack in (third-person singular simple present packs in, present participle packing in, simple past and past participle packed in)

  1. (idiomatic, transitive) To give up, to quit.
    • 1947, Willard Robison (lyrics and music), “Don't Smoke in Bed”, performed by Peggy Lee:
      Goodbye, old sleepyhead / I'm packing you in like I said / Take care of everything / I'm leaving my wedding ring
    • 1989 January, “Riding Harley's flagship”, in American Motorcyclist[1]:
      I rode 700 miles one day before packing it in for the night, yet after 15 minutes of rest in my hotel room, I realized that I could have gone farther.
    • 2009 February 6, “At Dem retreat, a partisan love fest”, in Yahoo! News[2]:
      As the Senate deliberated in Washington – and packed it in for the night without finalizing a deal — Obama brushed pressed House Democrats to finalize
    • 2009 November 7, “Captain Crunch compares 'greener' light bulbs”, in The Sun[3]:
      LAST year I was diagnosed with cervical cancer and had to pack in my job as a full-time cleaner as I needed chemo and radiotherapy
  2. (idiomatic) To include (especially of a large amount).
    • 1997 June 13, “MOVIE REVIEW Speed 2: Cruise Control”, in Los Angeles Times:
      Though co-star Keanu Reeves considered this new trip unnecessary, the "Speed 2" crew has packed in lots of references from the original.
    • 2023 September 20, Nigel Harris, “Comment Special: And it's goodbye from me...”, in RAIL, number 992, page 3:
      An unexpected downside was a new generation of trains where the principal aim was to 'pack them in', leading to a sharp slump in ambience and passenger comfort.
  3. (mountain climbing) To transport to base camp, especially by backpack.

Anagrams

edit