Synonyms

postbox

American

[pohst-boks] / ˈpoʊstˌbɒks /

noun

Chiefly British.

a mailbox, especially one for public deposit of mail.

postbox British

/ ˈpəʊstˌbɒks /

noun

Also called: letter box. a box into which mail is put for collection by the postal service

"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

Etymology

Origin of postbox

First recorded in 1745–55; post ³ + box ¹

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

June Sheridan didn't realise the postbox was there and ended up taking her small parcel into the shop.

From BBC • Jan. 31, 2026

Two designs were trialled in the pilot, including one where the entire round lid of the postbox was black.

From BBC • Aug. 27, 2025

A knitted postbox topper featuring the infamous phrase "rats the size of cats" has appeared on a street corner in Birmingham amid the city's ongoing bin strikes.

From BBC • May 7, 2025

Royal Mail has also trialled a new postbox that can take small parcels.

From BBC • Apr. 13, 2025

What would my pen pals say if I told them that I am standing at a detention center because I went to open my postbox for their letters?

From "Tasting the Sky" by Ibtisam Barakat

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023