poste restante

American  

[pohst re-stahnt, res-tahnt, pawst res-tahnt] / ˌpoʊst rɛˈstɑnt, ˈrɛs tɑnt, pɔst rɛsˈtɑ̃t /

noun

1. a direction written on mail to indicate that it should be held at the post office until called for by the addressee.

2. Chiefly British. a department in charge of such mail.

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poste restante British  

/ ˈpəʊst rɪˈstænt, pɔst rɛstɑ̃t /

noun

1. (not in the US and Canada) an address on mail indicating that it should be kept at a specified post office until collected by the addressee

2. the mail-delivery service or post-office department that handles mail having this address

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Etymology

Origin of poste restante

1760–70; < French: literally, standing post

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

poste restante

Leisurely two-sided correspondences were difficult to sustain, with Chatwin roving from one poste restante to the next.

From New York Times ● Feb. 25, 2011

Very obligingly, she offered to fetch my letters from the poste restante, and look out for photographs.

From The Roof of France by Matilda Betham-Edwards

In my letter, I repeated the offer about the Monasticon; with the addition of about a dozen napoleons for the early printed books above mentioned; requesting to have an answer, poste restante, at Vienna.

From A Bibliographical, Antiquarian and Picturesque Tour in France and Germany, Volume Three by Thomas Frognall Dibdin

"Write, then, poste restante to M. Andre, you must name the time at which you wish to see me, and I will be there."

From The Regent's Daughter by Alexandre Dumas père

I turned the letter over when I had read it, and saw that it was addressed to "M. Henri Smith, N——-, poste restante."

From The Confession of a Child of the Century by Kendall Warren

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