snail mail

noun

Facetious.

1. physical delivery of mail, as contrasted with email.

2. the letters, packages, etc., delivered this way.

snail mail

noun

1. the conventional postal system, as opposed to electronic mail

verb

1. (tr) to send by the conventional postal system, rather than by electronic mail

snail mail

1. A term used to denote mail sent via the traditional postal service, usually to contrast that process to e-mail.

Word History and Origins

Origin of snail mail¹

First recorded in 1980–85

Word History and Origins

Origin of snail mail¹

C20: so named because of the relative slowness of the conventional postal system

Idioms and Phrases

Ordinary postal service, as opposed to electronic communications. For example, He hasn't taken to his computer so he's still using snail mail. This slangy idiom, alluding to the alleged slowness of the snail, caught on at least partly for its rhyme. [1980s]

Example Sentences

Hundreds of Wall Street Journal readers responded to the story—by email, in the article’s comments section, on social media and even by snail mail.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

That crowd doesn’t go in for snail mail — although Gary the Snail might.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

As I waited for my blood test results via snail mail, I became increasingly interested not only in what the environmental health risks of the fires are, but also how our brains process them.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Growing up in the '90s, I was always a little captivated by the magic of snail mail — the thrill of finding a fun letter nestled between the usual stack of bills, catalogs and junk.

Read more on Salon

Our snail mail hasn’t been opened since Tuesday.

Read more on Los Angeles Times