mail¹ /māl/

1. Post, the postal system
2. Correspondence
3. A batch of letters, parcels, etc
4. The person or method of transport by which mail is conveyed
5. A bag for carrying letters, parcels, etc
6. The contents of such a bag
7. A travelling bag (obsolete)

1. To post
2. To send by post

mailˈable adjective

Capable of being sent by mail

mailˈer noun

1. A special container for items sent by post
2. A promotional leaflet sent by post
3. A person who dispatches letters, periodicals, etc, by post
4. A program that sends electronic mail (computing)

mailˈgram noun (US)

A message sent electronically to a post office and then delivered to the addressee by ordinary mail

To send a mailgram to

mailˈing noun

A batch of items sent by post

mailˈbag or (esp N American) mailˈsack noun

A bag in which mail is carried

mailˈ-boat noun

A boat that carries the public mail

mail bomb noun

A massive amount of electronic mail sent to a computer with the aim of filling up space in the computer's memory, and so causing it to stop functioning

mailˈbox noun

1. A letter-box (esp N American)
2. A file for storing electronic mail (computing)

mailˈ-cart, mailˈ-coach, mailˈ-car, mailˈ-carriage, mailˈ-drag or mailˈ-gig noun

1. A cart, etc, formerly used to carry the public mail
2. A small hand-cart, with long handles, for the conveyance of children

mailˈ-catcher noun

An apparatus for catching mail-bags thrown from a moving train

mail drop noun

1. A receptacle for mail (N American)
2. A delivery of mail, circulars, etc

mailˈ-in noun (esp N American)

Circulation of surveys, etc, by post

mailing list noun

A list of, or computer file containing, the names and addresses of those to whom advertising material, information, etc, is to be posted

mailing machine noun

Any of various machines used in an office to seal, address, frank, etc, outgoing mail

mailˈman or mailˈ-carrier noun (N American)

A postman

mailˈmerge noun

(a computer program for) the producing of a series of letters addressed to individuals by merging a file of names with a file containing the text of the letter (also intransitive verb)

mail order noun

An order for goods to be sent by post

mailˈ-order adjective

mailˈ-out noun

A bulk sending of mail, a mailshot

mailˈ-plane, mailˈ-train or mailˈvan noun

An aeroplane, train or van that carries the public mail

mailˈroom noun

A room in an office, etc, for dealing with incoming and outgoing mail

mailˈshot noun

An item of unsolicited, usu advertising, material sent by post (also transitive verb)

mail² /māl/

1. Defensive armour for the body, formed of overlapping or meshed steel rings
2. Armour generally
3. The protective shell or scales of an animal

To clothe in mail

mailed adjective

Covered in or protected by mail

mailˈ-clad adjective (Walter Scott)

Wearing a coat of mail

mailed fist noun (figurative)

Physical or military force

mail³ /māl/ (Scot; now chiefly law)

1. Payment
2. Rent

mailˈer noun

1. A person who pays rent, esp a tenant farmer
2. A cottar

mailˈing noun

1. A rented farm
2. Rent paid for this (obsolete)

mail⁴ or maile /māl/ (obsolete)

A halfpenny

mail⁵ /māl/ (Scot)

A spot, esp one caused by iron oxide on cloth

To spot or stain

mail⁶ /māl/

1. To wrap up (obsolete)
2. To confine (a bird) in a handkerchief, etc, to tame or silence it (falconry)

• dilly-dallying
• dilscoop
• dilucidate
• dilucidated
• dilucidates
• dilucidating
• dilucidation
• dilucidations
• diluent
• diluents
• dilutable
• dilutables
• dilute
• diluted
• dilutee
• dilutees
• diluteness
• dilutenesses
• diluter
• diluters
• dilutes
• diluting
• dilution
• dilutionary
• dilutions