postboy

[ pohst-boi ]

/ ˈpoʊstˌbɔɪ /

Save This Word!

noun

(formerly) a boy or man who rode post or carried mail.

a postilion.

QUIZ

WILL YOU SAIL OR STUMBLE ON THESE GRAMMAR QUESTIONS?

Smoothly step over to these common grammar mistakes that trip many people up. Good luck!

Question 1 of 7

Fill in the blank: I can’t figure out _____ gave me this gift.

who

whom

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of postboy

First recorded in 1580–90; post³ + boy

Words nearby postboy

post-bag, postbellum, post-boat, post-boost phase, postbox, postboy, postbus, postcanonical, post captain, postcard, postcava

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use postboy in a sentence

"I see'd the ladies cross the brook, and enter these old ruins," interposed the postboy, who had now joined the party.
Rookwood|William Harrison Ainsworth
With that Mr. Sharp jumped into the barouche, and bade the postboy drive on as fast as he could.
Night and Morning, Complete|Edward Bulwer-Lytton
No wonder that the postboy fell an easy victim to the highwaymen, who bound him and threw him into an out-of-the-way field.
The King's Post|R. C. Tombs
Among other outrages, a mailbag was stolen from the York postboy, on the evening of February 22 in that year.
The Great North Road: London to York|Charles G. Harper

As the postboy returns, he receives from his "friend," his share of your mulet, and enjoys his laugh literally at your expense.
George Cruikshank's Omnibus|George Cruikshank

British Dictionary definitions for postboy

postboy

/ (ˈpəʊstˌbɔɪ) /

noun

a man or boy who brings the post round to offices

another name for postilion

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