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definitions

special delivery

See more synonyms for special delivery on Thesaurus.com
noun
  1. (in the U.S. Postal Service) delivery of mail outside the regularly scheduled hours, by a special messenger, upon the payment of an extra fee.

Origin of special delivery

An Americanism dating back to 1880–85
Related formsspe·cial-de·liv·er·y, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words for special delivery

express, first-class, messenger

Examples from the Web for special delivery

Historical Examples of special delivery

  • "A special-delivery letter for me, Madame," announced the Frenchwoman.

    The Lion's Mouse

    C. N. Williamson and A. M. Williamson

  • The special-delivery letter she carried was her excuse for following.

    The Little Colonel: Maid of Honor

    Annie Fellows Johnston

  • “I have a special-delivery letter for you, Mrs. Weinberger,” she said.

  • I wonder that he did not put a special-delivery stamp on his letter.

    Under the Maples

    John Burroughs

  • The servile one handed him a letter with a special-delivery stamp on it.

    The Air Trust

    George Allan England

British Dictionary definitions for special delivery

special delivery

noun
  1. the delivery of a piece of mail outside the time of a scheduled delivery
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