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postcard

American  
[pohst-kahrd] / ˈpoʊstˌkɑrd /
Or post card

noun

  1. Also called picture postcard.  a small, commercially printed card, usually having a picture on one side and space for a short message on the other.

  2. postal card.


postcard British  
/ ˈpəʊstˌkɑːd /

noun

  1. Also called (US): postal card.  a card, often bearing a photograph, picture, etc, on one side, ( picture postcard ), for sending a message by post without an envelope

"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 postcard

First recorded in 1865–70; post 3 + card 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.

Doncic can expect a postcard in the mail: Wish you were there.

From Los Angeles Times • May 10, 2026

We’ve cleared the postcard phase of winter — the fat twinkle lights, the bow-strapped storefronts, the flattering first snow — but spring has not yet agreed to show up.

From Salon • Mar. 1, 2026

Not that the film is an idyllic picture postcard.

From Barron's • Feb. 18, 2026

San Francisco is full of postcard attractions including cable cars, Fisherman’s Wharf and the Transamerica Pyramid.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 3, 2026

With the postcard still stuffed in my sleeve, I head for the stairs.

From "South of Somewhere" by Kalena Miller

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