parcel vs piece

parcel

noun
  • A small amount of food that has been wrapped up, for example a pastry. 

  • An individual item appearing on an invoice or receipt (only in the phrase bill of parcels). 

  • A package wrapped for shipment. 

  • An individual consignment of cargo for shipment, regardless of size and form. 

  • A portion of anything taken separately; a fragment of a whole; a part. 

  • A division of land bought and sold as a unit. 

  • An indiscriminate or indefinite number, measure, or quantity; a collection; a group. 

verb
  • To divide and distribute by parts or portions; often with out or into. 

  • To wrap a strip around the end of a rope. 

  • To wrap something up into the form of a package. 

  • To add a parcel or item to; to itemize. 

piece

noun
  • A slice or other quantity of bread, eaten on its own; a sandwich or light snack. 

  • An ounce of a recreational drug. 

  • A distance. 

  • A coin, especially one valued at less than the principal unit of currency. 

  • A cannabis pipe. 

  • An artillery gun. 

  • An amount of work to be done at one time; a unit of piece work. 

  • One of the figures used in playing chess, specifically a higher-value figure as distinguished from a pawn; by extension, a similar counter etc. in other games. 

  • A part of a larger whole, usually in such a form that it is able to be separated from other parts. 

  • A shoddy or worthless object (usually applied to consumer products like vehicles or appliances). 

  • A structured practice row, often used for performance evaluation. 

  • An artistic creation, such as a painting, sculpture, musical composition, literary work, etc. 

  • An article published in the press. 

  • A sexual encounter; from piece of ass or piece of tail. 

  • Used to describe a pitch that has been hit but not well, usually either being caught by the opposing team or going foul. Usually used in the past tense with get. 

  • A single item belonging to a class of similar items. 

  • A gun. 

  • A pacifier; a dummy. 

  • A toupee or wig, especially when worn by a man. 

verb
  • To produce a work of graffiti more complex than a tag. 

  • To make, enlarge, or repair, by the addition of a piece or pieces; to patch; often with out. 

  • To assemble (something real or figurative). 

How often have the words parcel and piece occurred in a corpus of books? (source: Google Ngram Viewer )