letterbox

American  

[let-er-boks] / ˈlɛt ərˌbɒks /

noun

• letterboxes
  plural

1. Chiefly British. Also letter box a public or private mailbox.

2. Digital Technology, Television. a technique for displaying a wide-screen film or landscape video on a narrower screen by reducing its size but retaining the aspect ratio, with black bands filling the screen above and below the picture (often used attributively).

   letterbox videos.

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verb (used with object)

1. Digital Technology, Television. to display (a film or video) by using the letterbox technique.

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• letterboxes
  plural

Etymology

Origin of letterbox

First recorded in 1765–75; letter ¹ ( def. ) + box ¹ ( def. )

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

letterbox letterboxes

Staffordshire bull terrier Duchess was abandoned, and only survived because of the goodwill of a neighbour, who fed her through a letterbox.

From BBC ● Jul. 1, 2026

A woman is shouting through a letterbox to friends inside a house: "The pastor is here, I promise you it is safe."

From BBC ● Jun. 12, 2026

Nitu Sharma and Jaspreet Singh get many leaflets for takeaways through their letterbox.

From BBC ● Apr. 18, 2026

Instead of posting the letter and Bible through the letterbox, the court heard the men instead left an unsigned note saying they would "be back".

From BBC ● Jan. 13, 2026

We went on standing in front of the door of the suite, and I noticed that the daily paper was still thrust through the letterbox.

From "Rebecca" by Daphne du Maurier

As ballot papers start dropping through the letterboxes of Conservative members, it's widely accepted that Liz Truss is ahead.

From BBC ● Jul. 31, 2022

Well, Richards became famous in 2001, when he began posting polite notices through the letterboxes of apostrophe abusers, “drawing your attention to an incorrect use which has been pointed out to us”.

From The Guardian ● Dec. 2, 2019

Nobody’s going to flay you to death just for barking offers of money through the letterboxes of recently bereaved parents, or trawling for offensive tweets with your free hand.

From The Guardian ● Dec. 22, 2018

The hotel’s original touches include ornamental plaster ceilings and nickel-and-bronze letterboxes.

From Washington Post ● Oct. 18, 2017

Thrives in the vicinity of doorways and letterboxes.

From Cupid's Almanac and Guide to Hearticulture for This Year and Next by John Cecil Clay