letters, packages, etc., that are sent or delivered by means of a postal system: Storms delayed delivery of the mail.
a single collection of such letters, packages, etc., as sent or delivered: to open one's mail; to find a bill in the mail; The mail for England was put on the noon plane.
Often mails . a system, usually operated or supervised by the national government, for sending or delivering letters, packages, etc.; a postal system: The travel brochures arrived by mail.Some people don't trust the mails.
a train, boat, etc., as a carrier of postal matter.
email.
adjective
of or relating to mail.
verb (used with object)
to send by mail, as by placing in a mailbox; transmit by a postal system.
to transmit by email.
verb (used without object)
to be sent by a postal system: Tax forms are mailing today.
to transmit messages by email:We only mail to people who sign up on our website.
Idioms for mail
copy the mail, Citizens Band RadioSlang. to monitor or listen to a CB transmission.
Origin of mail
1
First recorded in 1175–1225; Middle English noun mal(l)e, mail(e), maille “bag, pouch,” from Old French mal(l)e “peddler's basket, trunk, mail coach,” from Germanic; compare Old High German mal(a)ha “satchel, bag”; verb derivative of the noun
any flexible armor or covering, as one having a protective exterior of scales or small plates.
Textiles. an oval piece of metal pierced with a hole through which the warp ends are threaded, serving as an eyelet on a heddle or especially on the harness cords of a Jacquard loom.
verb (used with object)
to clothe or arm with mail.
Origin of mail
2
First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English maille, maill(e) “one of the rings of which armor was composed,” from Old French mail(l)e, male, from Latin macula “spot, one of the interstices in a net, a mesh”; cf. macula
OTHER WORDS FROM mail
mailless,adjective
Definition for mail (3 of 3)
mail3
or maill
[ meyl ]
/ meɪl /
nounScot.
monetary payment or tribute, especially rent or tax.
Origin of mail
3
First recorded before 1150; Middle English mol(e), moul, male, late Old English māl “lawsuit, legal action, agreement,” from Old Norse māl “speech, stipulation, legal case, agreement,” cognate with Old English mǣl “speech, conversation” and mæthel “assembly, meeting”
It is unclear how the injunction will impact the mail system.
Federal judge issues temporary injunction against USPS operational changes amid concerns about mail slowdowns|Elise Viebeck, Jacob Bogage|September 17, 2020|Washington Post
Throughout summer they were sending us e-mails suggesting there would be some sort of hybrid model where some classes are virtual, some are in person.
Even the most cautious schools are seeing outbreaks|Sy Mukherjee|September 17, 2020|Fortune
California will start proactively mailing ballots to registered voters, joining universal vote-by-mail states such as Colorado.
Vote by mail: Which states allow absentee voting|Kate Rabinowitz, Brittany Mayes|September 17, 2020|Washington Post
He has also ordered that ballots be mailed to every registered Golden State voter.
Why you should vote as early as possible (and how to do it)|John Kennedy|September 17, 2020|Popular Science
Signature mismatch, when election officials determine the signature on your ballot doesn’t match what they have on file, is another common reason mail-in ballots are rejected.
ProPublica’s Pandemic Guide to Making Sure Your Vote Counts|by Susie Armitage|September 16, 2020|ProPublica
He said the video was “a promotional thing” that he received in the mail at his church office.
Exposed: The Gay-Bashing Pastor’s Same-Sex Assault|M.L. Nestel|December 21, 2014|DAILY BEAST
I knew because I rifled through his mail that terrible October morning.
I Was Gang Raped at a UVA Frat 30 Years Ago, and No One Did Anything|Liz Seccuro|December 16, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Hitchcock arrives about ten o'clock, reads his mail, and answers the few phone calls he gets.
Alfred Hitchcock’s Fade to Black: The Great Director’s Final Days|David Freeman|December 13, 2014|DAILY BEAST
A Daily Mail writer, wearing a facsimile of the dress, said it was sculpted to her body, but not restrictively so.
What Does “ZIP Code” Stand For?Curious about the 5 digits at the end of an address? As random as a ZIP code looks to us, it makes a huge difference in whether our mail gets delivered.
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Words related to mail
parcel, package, communication, letter, post, postcard, express, drop, dispatch, forward, transmit, junk mail, post office, air mail