pigeonhole

[ pij-uhn-hohl ]

/ ˈpɪdʒ ənˌhoʊl /

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See synonyms for: pigeonhole / pigeonholed on Thesaurus.com

noun

one of a series of small, open compartments, as in a desk, cabinet, or the like, used for filing or sorting papers, letters, etc.

a hole or recess, or one of a series of recesses, for pigeons to nest in.

Also called pigeon hole, white hole. Printing. white space created by setting words or lines too far apart.

verb (used with object), pi·geon·holed, pi·geon·hol·ing.

to assign to a definite place or to definite places in some orderly system: to pigeonhole new ideas.

to lay aside for use or reference at some later, indefinite time: We must pigeonhole this excellent plan until the time is ripe.

to put aside for the present, especially with the intention of ignoring or forgetting, often indefinitely: to pigeonhole an unwanted invitation.

to place in or as if in a pigeonhole or pigeonholes: to pigeonhole papers.

to fit or provide with pigeonholes: The desk must be pigeonholed for all my papers.

OTHER WORDS FOR pigeonhole

4 categorize, catalog.

5 file.

6 postpone, shelve.

See synonyms for pigeonhole on Thesaurus.com

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Origin of pigeonhole

First recorded in 1570–80; pigeon¹ + hole

Words nearby pigeonhole

pigeon blood, pigeon breast, pigeon drop, pigeon hawk, pigeon-hearted, pigeonhole, pigeonite, pigeon-livered, pigeon milk, pigeon pea, pigeon pox

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use pigeonhole in a sentence

As noted by Emma Sona, the pigeonhole principle dictated that having a fifth cut meant that one of the four corners would have two cuts.
Can You Systematically Solve A Friday Crossword?|Zach Wissner-Gross (riddlercolumn@gmail.com)|April 30, 2021|FiveThirtyEight
Did you every feel like Hollywood was trying to pigeonhole you as the token “hot” woman?
Alice Eve, the Beautiful New Trekkie, Talks ‘Star Trek Into Darkness’|Marlow Stern|May 18, 2013|DAILY BEAST
In high school especially, kids often pigeonhole each other to make themselves feel better about their own differences.
Glee's Harmful Simplicity|Andy Dehnart|May 17, 2010|DAILY BEAST
In any trial, he would be hard to pigeonhole and harder to control.
Maybe We Shouldn't Try KSM|Richard Miniter|March 5, 2010|DAILY BEAST

Kitty ran into Crozier's room, thrust the letter into its pigeonhole in the desk, and in a moment was back again.
You Never Know Your Luck, Complete|Gilbert Parker
“I see,” said Loris, reaching into a pigeonhole and drawing out a small yellow check-book.
Whispering Wires|Henry Leverage
She tied it up, so to speak, in a neat package and put it in a pigeonhole.
The Salamander|Owen Johnson
The Lone Ranger reasoned that the object, whatever it was, had been in the last disordered pigeonhole.
The Lone Ranger Rides|Fran Striker
Each classified group is metaphorically a pigeonhole to contain similar material.
The Classification of Patents|United States Patent Office

British Dictionary definitions for pigeonhole

pigeonhole

/ (ˈpɪdʒɪnˌhəʊl) /

noun

a small compartment for papers, letters, etc, as in a bureau

a hole or recess in a dovecote for pigeons to nest in

informal a category or classification

verb (tr)

to put aside or defer

to classify or categorize, esp in a rigid manner

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

pigeonhole

OTHER WORDS FOR pigeonhole

Origin of pigeonhole

Words nearby pigeonhole

Words related to pigeonhole

How to use pigeonhole in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for pigeonhole