special handling

American  

noun

1. (in the U.S. Postal Service) the handling of third- and fourth-class mail as first-class upon the payment of a fee.

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Etymology

Origin of special handling

First recorded in 1925–30

Example Sentences

Pharmaceutical distributor Cencora will invest $1 billion in its U.S. supply chain as demand soars for cancer therapies, weight-loss drugs such as Ozempic and other medications that need special handling and refrigeration.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 5, 2025

Designating entire areas for special handling would reduce the number of scientists and institutions able to carry out the work and increase costs, Jason concluded.

From Science Magazine • Apr. 4, 2024

Antiretroviral drugs require no special handling, for example, and can be taken in the field — just as soldiers take anti-malarial medication.

From Washington Post • Jul. 22, 2021

Or, with vaccines that require special handling, something can go amiss.

From Seattle Times • Feb. 18, 2021

There is a something which this special handling suggests which possesses a very subtle charm, the charm of dreamland,—less tangible, less real than direct appeals from nature.

From The Life, Letters and Work of Frederic Leighton Volume II by Barrington, Mrs. Russell