packet (redirected from mailboat)

packet

A block of data that is transmitted over the network in a packet-switched system. The terms frame, packet and datagram are often used synonymously. See packet switching.

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packet

1. a small or medium-sized container of cardboard, paper, etc., often together with its contents

2. a boat that transports mail, passengers, goods, etc., on a fixed short route

3. Computing a unit into which a larger piece of data is broken down for more efficient transmission

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packet [′pak·ət]

(biology)

A cluster of organisms in the form of a cube resulting from cell division in three planes.

(communications)

A short section of data of fixed length that is transmitted as a unit.

(physics)

wave packet

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packet - The unit of data sent across a network. "Packet" is a generic term used to describe a unit of data at any layer of the OSI protocol stack, but it is most correctly used to describe application layer data units ("application protocol data unit", APDU). See also datagram, frame.