snail mail

American  

noun

Facetious.

1. physical delivery of mail, as contrasted with email.

2. the letters, packages, etc., delivered this way.

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snail mail British  

noun

1. the conventional postal system, as opposed to electronic mail

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verb

1. (tr) to send by the conventional postal system, rather than by electronic mail

snail mail Cultural  

1. A term used to denote mail sent via the traditional postal service, usually to contrast that process to e-mail.

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snail mail Idioms  

1. Ordinary postal service, as opposed to electronic communications. For example, He hasn't taken to his computer so he's still using snail mail. This slangy idiom, alluding to the alleged slowness of the snail, caught on at least partly for its rhyme. [1980s]

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Etymology

Origin of snail mail

First recorded in 1980–85

Example Sentences

There will be a paper trail, either email or snail mail.

From MarketWatch • Nov. 20, 2025

Hundreds of Wall Street Journal readers responded to the story—by email, in the article’s comments section, on social media and even by snail mail.

From The Wall Street Journal • Sep. 27, 2025

“What do I even write about?” is a question she’s heard from both friends and potential Paper Source customers who’ve considered giving snail mail a try.

From Salon • Apr. 10, 2025

Our snail mail hasn’t been opened since Tuesday.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 11, 2025

And an impatient manager was unlikely to be willing to wait a week for the new password to arrive courtesy of snail mail.

From Underground by Dreyfus, Suelette