mailbox

American  

[meyl-boks] / ˈmeɪlˌbɒks /

noun

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.

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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

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Etymology

Origin of mailbox

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

Example Sentences

“Great story, Deb!” he’d yell from his truck after putting some real estate fliers in my mailbox.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 16, 2026

Make sure to see the envelope handstamped with the postmark instead of tossing the letter in the mailbox, O’Saben added.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 9, 2026

So mail that is never even transported from the post office to the mailbox is still “miscarried.”

From Slate • Feb. 24, 2026

Outside Guthrie’s home in Arizona, flower bouquets near the mailbox bear a note reading, “Dear Guthrie family, your neighbors stand with you.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 13, 2026

“What exactly was in that letter you put in the Academy mailbox? I saw you swipe a form from the Glitch room. What could you possibly have had time to conjure up that fast?”

From "Glitch" by Laura Martin