post office

[pohst aw-fis, of-is]

noun

1. an office or station of a government postal system at which mail is received and sorted, from which it is dispatched and distributed, and at which stamps are sold or other services rendered. PO, P.O.

2. Often Post Office the department of a government charged with the transportation of mail.

3. an old-fashioned game in which one player is designated “postmaster” or “postmistress” and calls another player of a different gender into an adjoining room, ostensibly to receive a letter but actually to receive a kiss.

Post Office

¹

noun

1. a government department or authority in many countries responsible for postal services and often telecommunications

post office

²

noun

1. a building or room where postage stamps are sold and other postal business is conducted

Other Word Forms

• post-office adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of post office¹

First recorded in 1645–55

Example Sentences

Voters can choose to have a vote-by-mail ballot sent to the residence of a family member or friend, a post office box, or your place of employment by completing a replacement ballot request.

From Los Angeles Times

Put the envelope in your mailbox, give it to your mail carrier or take it to the post office.

From Los Angeles Times

Soon came a post office, a store, and a little school with a bustling 4-H club that was frequently celebrated for its exploits in the local papers.

From Los Angeles Times

Canada Post workers have embarked on a nationwide strike after the federal government authorised widespread reforms that would shut some post offices and end certain types of deliveries.

From BBC

When Ortega’s father died of a sudden heart attack outside the post office, she was unprepared for the consequences.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• postal service www.thesaurus.com