pack

pack

1. a complete set of similar things, esp a set of 52 playing cards

2. a group of animals of the same kind, esp hunting animals

3. Rugby the forwards of a team or both teams collectively, as in a scrum or in rucking

4. a small package, carton, or container, used to retail commodities, esp foodstuffs, cigarettes, etc.

5. short for pack ice

6. Med

a. a sheet or blanket, either damp or dry, for wrapping about the body, esp for its soothing effect

b. a material such as cotton or gauze for temporarily filling a bodily cavity, esp to control bleeding

7. a parachute folded and ready for use

8. Computing another name for deck

Collins Discovery Encyclopedia, 1st edition © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

pack

[pak]

(computer science)

To reduce the amount of storage required to hold information by changing the method of encoding the data.

(industrial engineering)

To provide protection for an article or group of articles against physical damage during shipment; packing is accomplished by placing articles in a shipping container, and blocking, bracing, and cushioning them when necessary, or by strapping the articles or containers on a pallet or skid.

(mining engineering)

A pillar built in the waste area or roadside within a mine to support the mine roof; constructed from loose stones and dirt.

Waste rock or timber used to support the roof or underground workings or used to fill excavations. Also known as fill.

(oceanography)

pack ice

(ordnance)

Part of a parachute assembly in which the canopy and shroud lines are folded and carried. Also known as pack assembly.

McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Scientific & Technical Terms, 6E, Copyright © 2003 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

pack

(1) To compress data in order to save space. Unpack refers to decompressing data. See data compression.

(2) An instruction that converts a decimal number into a packed decimal format. Unpack converts a packed decimal number into decimal.

(3) In database programs, a command that removes records that have been marked for deletion.

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