Dictionary

pack in en · VERB

Pronunciation

• (Australia) audio

Meanings

1. (idiomatic, transitive) To give up, to quit.
   • Goodbye, old sleepyhead / I'm packing you in like I said / Take care of everything / I'm leaving my wedding ring 1947, Willard Robison, “Don't Smoke in Bed”, performed by Peggy Lee:
   • 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 February 6, “At Dem retreat, a partisan love fest”, in Yahoo! News:
   • 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. 1989 January, “Riding Harley's flagship”, in American Motorcyclist:
   • 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 2009 November 7, “Captain Crunch compares 'greener' light bulbs”, in The Sun:
2. (idiomatic) To include (especially of a large amount).
   • 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. 2023 September 20, Nigel Harris, “Comment Special: And it's goodbye from me...”, in RAIL, number 992, page 3:
   • Though co-star Keanu Reeves considered this new trip unnecessary, the "Speed 2" crew has packed in lots of references from the original. 1997 June 13, “MOVIE REVIEW Speed 2: Cruise Control”, in Los Angeles Times:
3. (qualifier:mountain climbing) To transport to base camp, especially by backpack.

Forms