mail

noun

/meɪl/

jump to other results

(British English also post)
[uncountable] the official system used for sending and delivering letters, packages, etc.
- a mail service/train/van
- the Royal Mail
- (especially North American English) regular/postal mail (= rather than email)
- in the mail Hard copies of the documents are in the mail to you.
- by mail We do our business by mail.
- through the mail Never send cash through the mail.
- (especially North American English) via mail We did not get any message via mail or email.
Culture postal servicespostal servicesMost letters and many packages sent in Britain are dealt with by the Royal Mail, which is part of the Royal Mail Group Ltd. The Post Office manages the country's many post offices. The Royal Mail is a private limited company, having been sold by the government in 2013. As well as selling stamps, post offices take in letters and packages that are to be sent by special delivery. They also offer foreign currency exchange. Small post offices are now often based in a newsagent's or other shop, rather than being in a separate building. In recent years, many smaller post offices have been closed because they do not make a profit, though this has led to protests from local people.Mail is often called post in British English. When sending a letter, people can choose between two levels of service, first class or the cheaper second class. Normally, first-class mail is delivered the day after it is posted and second-class mail within two or three days. Every address in Britain includes a postcode of letters and numbers, for example OX2 6DP for an address in Oxford, that makes it possible to sort the post by machine. Letters are posted in red postboxes, also called letter boxes. Each has a sign giving times of collections. Postmen and postwomen deliver mail Monday to Saturday direct to homes and businesses. They put the mail through a flap in the door, which is also called a letter box. In rural areas they travel round in red vans, but in towns and villages they usually go from house to house on foot or on bicycles.The system that deals with mail in the US, the US Postal Service (USPS), is an independent part of the government. Its head is the Postmaster General. Mail carriers, sometimes called mailmen or mailwomen, deliver mail to homes and businesses once a day, Monday to Saturday. Most homes have mailboxes (= small boxes where letters can be put) fixed outside, near the door. It is very unusual for a house to have a letter box in the door for letters. People whose houses are a long way from the road have a special rural mailbox by the road for mail to be delivered to. The mailbox has a flag which is raised to let the mail carrier know when there is mail inside to be collected for sending. In cities and towns letters to be sent are posted in one of the many blue mailboxes. Every address in the US includes an abbreviation for the name of the state and a ZIP code, which is used to help sort the mail. Post offices sell stamps and deal with mail that has to be insured. Most cities have one post office which stays open late. Americans complain about the Postal Service, but it usually does an efficient job at a reasonable price.In the US only the Postal Service can deliver mail to letter boxes and the Service has a monopoly on first-class mail that is not urgent. In Britain the post office does not have a monopoly on delivery of post. In both countries there are many companies who provide courier and messenger services for urgent mail. The largest of these include FedEx and DHL. In Britain private companies may also deliver mail to letter boxes.
see also airmail, certified mail, snail mail, V-mail™, voicemail
Extra Examples
- If we want to send something to another department, we use the internal mail.
- Send it by first-class mail.
- Millions of people registered to vote by mail.
- If you're sending correspondence through the mail these days, why not design your own stamps?
Oxford Collocations Dictionary
adjective
- certified
- registered
- express
- …
… of mail
- item
- piece
- sackful
- …
verb + mail
- post
- send
- get
- …
mail + verb
- come
- go
mail + noun
- delivery
- order
- message
- …
preposition
- by mail
- in the mail
See full entry
(British English also post)
[uncountable] letters, packages, etc. that are sent and delivered
- There isn't much mail today.
- I sat down to open the mail.
- to send/receive/deliver mail
- in the mail Is there a letter from them in the mail?
- Remember to cancel mail delivery when you go on vacation.
Homophones mail | male
mail male
/meɪl/

/meɪl/
- mail noun
  I think the card got lost in the mail.
- mail verb
  I'll mail you a formal invitation.
- male adjective
  The male characters in the book are all well drawn.
- male noun
  The strongest male will become the leader of the pack.
British/American post / mail
post / mailNouns
- In British English the official system used for sending and delivering letters, parcels/packages, etc. is usually called the post. In North American English it is usually called the mail:
  I’ll put an application form in the post/mail for you today.
  Send your fee by post/mail to this address.
  Mail is sometimes used in British English in such expressions as
  the Royal Mail.
  Post occurs in North American English in such expressions as
  the US Postal Service.
- In British English post is also used to mean the letters, parcels/packages, etc. that are delivered to you. Mail is the usual word in North American English and is sometimes also used in British English:
  Was there any post/mail this morning?
  I sat down to open my post/mail.
Verbs
- Compare:
  I’ll post the letter when I go out.
  (British English) and
  I’ll mail the letter when I go out.
  (North American English)
Compounds
- Note these words: postman (British English), mailman/mail carrier (both North American English); postbox (British English), mailbox (North American English) Some compounds are used in both British English and North American English: post office, postcard, mail order.
see also direct mail, fan mail, hate mail, junk mail, return mail, surface mail
Extra Examples
- Has the mail come yet?
- Some people let their assistants handle the mail.
- The mail is collected twice a day.
- The postcode allows the mail to be sorted automatically.
- We had our mail redirected when we moved out.
Oxford Collocations Dictionary
adjective
- certified
- registered
- express
- …
… of mail
- item
- piece
- sackful
- …
verb + mail
- post
- send
- get
- …
mail + verb
- come
- go
mail + noun
- delivery
- order
- message
- …
preposition
- by mail
- in the mail
See full entry
[uncountable, countable] messages/a message sent or received on a computer
- Check regularly for new mail.
- She checked her mail before leaving the hotel.
- You've got mail.
- incoming/outgoing mail
- The company's mail server was down.
- You can delete your mails with a single swipe.
see also electronic mail, emailTopics Phones, email and the interneta2
Oxford Collocations Dictionary
adjective
- certified
- registered
- express
- …
… of mail
- item
- piece
- sackful
- …
verb + mail
- post
- send
- get
- …
mail + verb
- come
- go
mail + noun
- delivery
- order
- message
- …
preposition
- by mail
- in the mail
See full entry
used in the title of some newspapers
- the Mail on Sunday
(also chain mail)
[uncountable] armour (= clothing to protect the body when fighting) made of small metal rings linked together
- a coat of mail

Word OriginMiddle English (in the sense ‘travelling bag’): from Old French male ‘wallet’, of West Germanic origin. The sense “by post” dates from the mid 17th cent.

mail

verb

/meɪl/

Verb Forms

present simple I / you / we / they mail	/meɪl/ /meɪl/
he / she / it mails	/meɪlz/ /meɪlz/
past simple mailed	/meɪld/ /meɪld/
past participle mailed	/meɪld/ /meɪld/
-ing form mailing	/ˈmeɪlɪŋ/ /ˈmeɪlɪŋ/

Phrasal Verbs

jump to other results

(especially North American English) to send something to somebody using the postal system
- mail something (to somebody/something) Don't forget to mail that letter to your mother.
- mail somebody something Don't forget to mail your mother that letter.
- mail somebody/something The company intends to mail 50 000 households in the area.
- The brochures are mailed direct to members.
- He headed to the post office to mail the package.
- They keep in touch by having copies mailed to them from Barbados.
- Postcards were mailed to residents explaining about trash.
- Qualified applicants should email, fax or mail a résumé and salary requirements.
Homophones mail | male
mail male
/meɪl/

/meɪl/
- mail noun
  I think the card got lost in the mail.
- mail verb
  I'll mail you a formal invitation.
- male adjective
  The male characters in the book are all well drawn.
- male noun
  The strongest male will become the leader of the pack.
British/American post / mail
post / mailNouns
- In British English the official system used for sending and delivering letters, parcels/packages, etc. is usually called the post. In North American English it is usually called the mail:
  I’ll put an application form in the post/mail for you today.
  Send your fee by post/mail to this address.
  Mail is sometimes used in British English in such expressions as
  the Royal Mail.
  Post occurs in North American English in such expressions as
  the US Postal Service.
- In British English post is also used to mean the letters, parcels/packages, etc. that are delivered to you. Mail is the usual word in North American English and is sometimes also used in British English:
  Was there any post/mail this morning?
  I sat down to open my post/mail.
Verbs
- Compare:
  I’ll post the letter when I go out.
  (British English) and
  I’ll mail the letter when I go out.
  (North American English)
Compounds
- Note these words: postman (British English), mailman/mail carrier (both North American English); postbox (British English), mailbox (North American English) Some compounds are used in both British English and North American English: post office, postcard, mail order.
Oxford Collocations Dictionary
adverb
- direct
- directly
- back
- …
preposition
- to
See full entry
to send a message to somebody by email
- mail somebody Please mail us at the following email address.
- mail something (to somebody/something) The virus mails itself forward to everyone in your address book.
- mail somebody something Can you mail me that document you mentioned?
Topics Phones, email and the interneta2
Oxford Collocations Dictionary
adverb
- direct
- directly
- back
- …
preposition
- to
See full entry

Word OriginMiddle English (in the sense ‘travelling bag’): from Old French male ‘wallet’, of West Germanic origin. The sense “by post” dates from the mid 17th cent.