Packed and pact are two words that are pronounced in the same way but have different meanings and different spellings. They are homophones. We will examine the definitions of the words packed and pact, where these words came from and some examples of their use in sentences.
Packed, when used as an adjective, describes something that is completely filled, or something that has been put inside of a suitcase, box or other container for storage or in order to be transported. Packed is also the past tense of the verb to pack, meaning to put something inside of a suitcase, box or other container for storage or in order to be transported. It also may mean to fill something or to store something perishable in a manner that will preserve it. Pack is also used to mean to carry a firearm. Related words are pack, packs, packing. Pack is derived from the German words pak and pakken.
A pact is a covenant or an agreement between two parties. The word pact is derived from the Latin word pactum, which means a treaty, a contract, an agreement.
Examples
Some swab samples to test for swine flu which were sent to Institute of Preventive Medicine (IPM) were not packed as per guidelines, yet the samples were tested, and in a few cases, the samples were carried to the institutes by relatives of patients which leaves a possibility of the handlers getting infected too, said Dr Anuradha Medoju, regional director, Regional Office for Health and Family Welfare. (The New Indian Express)
A self-described “Southern-born Christian boy” who became one of the most prominent abortion practitioners in the Southeast told a packed auditorium of Planned Parenthood supporters Friday they need to keep fighting for women’s right to choose. (The Palm Beach Post)
The Kigali pact, agreed by almost 200 nations including the United States, will phase down the use of HFCs, which can be 10,000 times more powerful than carbon dioxide in trapping heat in the atmosphere. (Reuters)
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