postman
1 Americannoun
-
a postal employee who carries and delivers mail; mail carrier.
-
Archaic. a courier.
noun
noun
Gender
See -man.
Etymology
Origin of postman1
First recorded in 1520–30; post 3 + -man
Origin of postman2
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.
The second postman to speak to the BBC, who we are calling Bob, said the reason people were not getting post on time was simple: "There's not enough staff."
From BBC • Feb. 16, 2026
Unsure who was responsible, or who might have read her most private thoughts, she became terrified to take public transport, leave home, or even open the door to the postman.
From BBC • Jan. 16, 2026
The postman Joseph Roulin and his wife, Augustine, became Van Gogh’s principal friends during his stay in Arles.
From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 25, 2025
The 61-year-old is ex-forces, and also held other positions before becoming a postman, but he is proud to have been described as "the Erin Brockovich of Stoke-on-Trent".
From BBC • Aug. 1, 2025
And if Emma gave the postman a letter in Down, it would get to Malvern by the next morning.
From "Charles and Emma: The Darwins' Leap of Faith" by Deborah Heiligman
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
