pack
UK[pæk]US[pæk]
v
To put things into a container, especially for transport or storage.
n
A collection of items wrapped or tied together for carrying; a small container.
n
A group of wild animals, especially wolves, that live and hunt together.
Etymology
The word 'pack' entered Middle English from Middle Dutch or Middle Low German, specifically from the word 'pak' or 'packe', meaning a bundle. These Germanic terms are likely related to a common root signifying a bundle or a mass. The core concept of bundling or assembling into a compact unit has remained remarkably consistent. From this physical sense of a tied bundle, the meaning naturally extended to the action of creating such a bundle ('to pack'), to the container holding it ('a pack'), and metaphorically to a closely-knit group ('a pack of wolves').
Analysis
This word is a simplex form of Germanic origin. It does not neatly divide into separate, meaningful morphemes within its modern English spelling.
Examples
She had to pack her suitcase quickly for the last-minute trip.
He bought a pack of gum from the vending machine.
A lone wolf is rarely seen away from its pack.