mail

[ meyl ]

/ meɪl /

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See synonyms for: mail / mailed / mailer / mailing on Thesaurus.com

noun

letters, packages, etc., that are sent or delivered by means of a postal system: Storms delayed delivery of the mail.

a single collection of such letters, packages, etc., as sent or delivered: to open one's mail; to find a bill in the mail; The mail for England was put on the noon plane.

Often mails . a system, usually operated or supervised by the national government, for sending or delivering letters, packages, etc.; a postal system: The travel brochures arrived by mail.Some people don't trust the mails.

a train, boat, etc., as a carrier of postal matter.

email.

adjective

of or relating to mail.

verb (used with object)

to send by mail, as by placing in a mailbox; transmit by a postal system.

to transmit by email.

verb (used without object)

to be sent by a postal system: Tax forms are mailing today.

to transmit messages by email:We only mail to people who sign up on our website.

QUIZ

THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?

Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.

Question 1 of 7

In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…

candystring

candyfloss

candypuff

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Idioms about mail

copy the mail, Citizens Band Radio Slang. to monitor or listen to a CB transmission.

Origin of mail

First recorded in 1175–1225; Middle English noun mal(l)e, mail(e), maille “bag, pouch,” from Old French mal(l)e “peddler's basket, trunk, mail coach,” from Germanic; compare Old High German mal(a)ha “satchel, bag”; verb derivative of the noun

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH mail

mail , male

Words nearby mail

maigre, maihem, maik, maiko, Maikop, mail, mailable, mailbag, mailboat, mail bomb, mailbox

Other definitions for mail (2 of 3)

mail²

[ meyl ]

/ meɪl /

noun

flexible armor of interlinked rings.

any flexible armor or covering, as one having a protective exterior of scales or small plates.

Textiles. an oval piece of metal pierced with a hole through which the warp ends are threaded, serving as an eyelet on a heddle or especially on the harness cords of a Jacquard loom.

verb (used with object)

to clothe or arm with mail.

Origin of mail

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English maille, maill(e) “one of the rings of which armor was composed,” from Old French mail(l)e, male, from Latin macula “spot, one of the interstices in a net, a mesh”; cf. macula

OTHER WORDS FROM mail

mailless, adjective

Other definitions for mail (3 of 3)

mail³

or maill

[ meyl ]

/ meɪl /

noun Scot.

monetary payment or tribute, especially rent or tax.

Origin of mail

First recorded before 1150; Middle English mol(e), moul, male, late Old English māl “lawsuit, legal action, agreement,” from Old Norse māl “speech, stipulation, legal case, agreement,” cognate with Old English mǣl “speech, conversation” and mæthel “assembly, meeting”

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use mail in a sentence

It is unclear how the injunction will impact the mail system.
Federal judge issues temporary injunction against USPS operational changes amid concerns about mail slowdowns|Elise Viebeck, Jacob Bogage|September 17, 2020|Washington Post
Throughout summer they were sending us e-mails suggesting there would be some sort of hybrid model where some classes are virtual, some are in person.
Even the most cautious schools are seeing outbreaks|Sy Mukherjee|September 17, 2020|Fortune
California will start proactively mailing ballots to registered voters, joining universal vote-by-mail states such as Colorado.
Vote by mail: Which states allow absentee voting|Kate Rabinowitz, Brittany Mayes|September 17, 2020|Washington Post
He has also ordered that ballots be mailed to every registered Golden State voter.
Why you should vote as early as possible (and how to do it)|John Kennedy|September 17, 2020|Popular-Science

In some states, voting by mail is a widespread, well-oiled process, but in others it was limited before the pandemic.
ProPublica’s Pandemic Guide to Making Sure Your Vote Counts|by Susie Armitage|September 16, 2020|ProPublica
“We went on to Tramp…He was the most hideous dancer I had ever seen,” she tells the Mail.
From Playboy Prince to Dirty Old Man?|Tom Sykes|January 5, 2015|DAILY BEAST
He said the video was “a promotional thing” that he received in the mail at his church office.
Exposed: The Gay-Bashing Pastor’s Same-Sex Assault|M.L. Nestel|December 21, 2014|DAILY BEAST
I knew because I rifled through his mail that terrible October morning.
I Was Gang Raped at a UVA Frat 30 Years Ago, and No One Did Anything|Liz Seccuro|December 16, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Hitchcock arrives about ten o'clock, reads his mail, and answers the few phone calls he gets.
Alfred Hitchcock’s Fade to Black: The Great Director’s Final Days|David Freeman|December 13, 2014|DAILY BEAST
“For the record, I do not believe unions belong in government—including the police force,” Sherk said in an e-mail.
The GOP and Police Unions: A Love Story|Eleanor Clift|December 12, 2014|DAILY BEAST
So it went, the time passed, and he could scarcely wait until the stage reached the little town where he now received his mail.
The Homesteader|Oscar Micheaux
Under it the preachers sometimes paused on their return from the postoffice where they received their mail every afternoon.
The Homesteader|Oscar Micheaux
As soon as he has been appointed it is the duty of the referee to notify him in person or by mail of his appointment.
Putnam's Handy Law Book for the Layman|Albert Sidney Bolles
"I received this letter by the afternoon mail," said Mr. Carr, taking one from the safe enclosure of his pocket-book.
Elster's Folly|Mrs. Henry Wood
Mail matter may be carried by private persons, but this is limited to special trips.
Putnam's Handy Law Book for the Layman|Albert Sidney Bolles

British Dictionary definitions for mail (1 of 4)

mail¹

/ (meɪl) /

noun

Also called (esp Brit): post letters, packages, etc, that are transported and delivered by the post office

the postal system

a single collection or delivery of mail

a train, ship, or aircraft that carries mail

short for electronic mail

(modifier) of, involving, or used to convey maila mail train

verb (tr)

mainly US and Canadian to send by mailUsual Brit word: post

to contact (a person) by electronic mail

to send (a message, document, etc) by electronic mail

Derived forms of mail

mailable, adjectivemailability, noun

Word Origin for mail

C13: from Old French male bag, probably from Old High German malha wallet

British Dictionary definitions for mail (2 of 4)

mail²

/ (meɪl) /

noun

a type of flexible armour consisting of riveted metal rings or links

the hard protective shell of such animals as the turtle and lobster

verb

(tr) to clothe or arm with mail

Derived forms of mail

mail-less, adjective

Word Origin for mail

C14: from Old French maille mesh, from Latin macula spot

British Dictionary definitions for mail (3 of 4)

mail³

/ (meɪl) /

noun

archaic, mainly Scot a monetary payment, esp of rent or taxes

Word Origin for mail

Old English māl terms, from Old Norse māl agreement

British Dictionary definitions for mail (4 of 4)

mail⁴

/ (meɪl) /

noun

Australian informal a rumour or report, esp a racing tip

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

mail

Idioms about mail

Origin of mail

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH mail

Words nearby mail

Other definitions for mail (2 of 3)

Origin of mail

OTHER WORDS FROM mail

Other definitions for mail (3 of 3)

or maill

Origin of mail

Words related to mail

How to use mail in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for mail (1 of 4)

Derived forms of mail

Word Origin for mail

British Dictionary definitions for mail (2 of 4)

Derived forms of mail

Word Origin for mail

British Dictionary definitions for mail (3 of 4)

Word Origin for mail

British Dictionary definitions for mail (4 of 4)