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.

Royal Mail said residents can use another nearby postbox or hand stamped letters to their postman or woman.

From BBC • Jan. 31, 2026

BBC NI went to Newtownabbey, County Antrim, where there is a newly upgraded postbox.

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 new postbox that can take small parcels is being trialled by Royal Mail.

From BBC • Apr. 10, 2025

We make a huge Valentine’s Day postbox out of a cardboard box covered with pink crepe paper and red hearts with paper doily edging.

From "Cat's Eye" by Margaret Atwood

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