mailbox

American  

[meyl-boks] / ˈmeɪlˌbɒks /

noun

• mailboxes
  plural

1. a public box in which mail is placed for pickup and delivery by the post office.

2. a private box, as at a home, into which mail is delivered by the mail carrier.

3. Computers. a file for storing electronic mail.

---

mailbox British  

/ ˈmeɪlˌbɒks /

noun

1. 1. a slot, usually covered with a hinged flap, through which letters, etc are delivered to a building

   2. Also called (in Britain and certain other countries): letter box.  a private box into which letters, etc, are delivered

2. Also called (in Britain and certain other countries): postbox.  a public box into which letters, etc, are put for collection and delivery

3. (on a computer) the directory in which e-mail messages are stored; also used of the icon that can be clicked to provide access to e-mails

---

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• mailboxes
  plural

Etymology

Origin of mailbox

First recorded in 1800–10; mail ¹ + box ¹

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

mailbox mailboxes

"She likes to go to go to the mailbox, and she's like, 'Ms Dolly! Ms Dolly!' and I'm like, 'Well, let's go see if Ms Dolly sent you a book!'"

From BBC ● Aug. 29, 2026

The company then listed a private mailbox center.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 11, 2026

Typically when I move to a new place, the red-and-blue-striped envelope from the post office confirming my new address goes directly from the mailbox into the trash.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 11, 2026

When the reporter placed a letter for Paxton in the mailbox, an envelope addressed to Warren Paxton, the attorney general’s given name, was visible.

From Salon ● Jul. 7, 2026

I dropped the postcard for Fred into the mailbox.

From "The Line Tender" by Kate Allen

The mayor ruffled feathers again when the 17,000 notices were sent out and he wrote on X that second-home owners should check their mailboxes.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 25, 2026

The award casts renewed scrutiny on Bianco’s Sheriff’s Department two weeks before primary election ballots land in Californians’ mailboxes.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 22, 2026

Primary election ballots will begin hitting California voters’ mailboxes in just a few weeks, and Swalwell’s campaign had been gaining steam and financial support that may now be up for grabs by other candidates.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 13, 2026

Yellow ribbons are tied around mailboxes and roadside library posts.

From Slate ● Feb. 23, 2026

The fog’s so thick, I have to walk with my arms out straight so I don’t collide into any mailboxes or telephone poles or trees.

From "I'll Give You the Sun" by Jandy Nelson