passel ˈpa-səl noun
: (often followed by ‘of’) a large number or amount or extent
_________
The word passel has appeared in 18 articles on NYTimes.com in the past year, including on March 24 in “Brightening Up Coronavirus Quarantine With Christmas Spirit” by Blane Bachelor:
During a global pandemic, all is certainly not calm. But things are a little bit brighter in some neighborhoods, thanks to a growing movement that has families stringing Christmas lights, blowing up holiday inflatables and building spirit-lifting snowmen to help bring some much-needed cheer during the coronavirus crisis.
… Then, of course, there’s the feel-good factor of brightening up someone else’s mood in these dark times. In Clover, S.C., Elizabeth and Bill Nickles and their three children got busy decorating their house with lights and a passel of inflatables and lawn characters, including kid favorites like Minnie Mouse and the “Frozen” character Olaf. On the other side of the house, they decided to go with an Easter theme, complete with a barrage of bunny inflatables.
_________