Dictionary

mail en · NOUN · etymology 1

Pronunciation

• /mel/ (India, North)
• /mɛj(ɪ)l/ (India, South)
• (US) audio
• /meɪl/ (General-American, Received-Pronunciation)

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *molko-der.? Thracianbor.? Proto-Germanic *malhō Frankish *malhabor. Medieval Latin malader. Anglo-Norman malebor. ▲ Old French malebor. Middle English male English mail From Middle English male, from Anglo-Norman male, Old French male (“bag, wallet”), from Frankish *malha (“bag”), from Proto-Germanic *malhō (“bag, pouch”), from Proto-Indo-European *molko- (“leather pouch”). Compare Dutch maal.

Meanings

1. (countable, regional, uncountable) A bag or wallet.
   • What, loo, man, see here of dyce a bale; / A brydelynge caste for that is in thy male! 1499, John Skelton, The Bowge of Courte:
   • Open the Males, yet guard the treaſure ſure. Lay out our golden wedges to the view, That their reflexions may amaze the Perſeans. c. 1587–1588 (date written), [Christopher Marlowe], Tamburlaine the Great. […] The First Part […], 2nd edition, part 1, London: […] [R. Robinson for] Richard Iones, […], published 1592, →OCLC; reprinted as Tamburlaine the Great (A Scolar Press Facsimile), Menston, Yorkshire; London: Scolar Press, 1973, →ISBN, Act I, scene ii:
2. (countable, uncountable) A bag containing letters to be delivered by post.
3. (countable, uncountable) The (physical) material conveyed by the postal service.
   • 1887, John Houston Merrill (editor), The American and English Encyclopædia of Law, Volume I, Edward Thompson, p.121, If he retains the account, and permits several mails to pass without objecting to it, he will be held to have admitted its correctness.
   • 1823, The stranger in Liverpool; or, An historical and descriptive view of the town of Liverpool and its environs, Seventh Edition, T. Kaye, page 96, The following are the hours at which the letter-box of this office is closed for making up the several mails, and the hours at which each mail is despatched: ¶ […]
   • Don't forget to pick up the mail on your way.
   • The transfer by tender of some 1,300 mail bags was effected smartly, and the "Ocean Mails Special" train was ready at 9.19 a.m. 1944 July and August, Charles E. Lee, “The "City of Truro"”, in Railway Magazine, page 202:
   • Meronym: mailpiece
4. (US, uncountable) The (physical) material conveyed by the postal service. ▸ The letters, parcels, etc. delivered to a particular address or person.
   • It should be in your mail today, unless the post office lost it!
5. (countable, dated, uncountable) A stagecoach, train or ship that delivers such post.
   • All trains stop at all stations, with the exception of a few "local" stations near Mombasa and an odd flag stop or two usually missed by the mails. 1950 April, Timothy H. Cobb, “The Kenya-Uganda Railway”, in Railway Magazine, page 263:
   • As he passed though the station, he slowed to yell to the signalman, Frank 'Sailor' Bridges: "Sailor - have you anything between here and Fordham? Where's the mail?" Gimbert knew the mail train was due, and he didn't want to endanger another train with his burning bomb wagon. 2022 January 12, Benedict le Vay, “The heroes of Soham...”, in RAIL, number 948, page 42:
   • On the morning after the one-day strike, October 4, one of the Type 4s on crew-training, No. D169, was appropriated to head the 3 a.m. mail to Hull, as no steam locomotive had been lit up and the usual Hull Type 3 was not available; [...]. 1962 December, “Motive Power Miscellany: North Eastern Region”, in Modern Railways, pages 422, 425:
6. (countable, uncountable) The postal service or system in general.
   • He decided to send his declaration by mail.
7. (uncountable) Electronic mail, e-mail: a computer network–based service for sending, storing, and forwarding electronic messages.
   • Yahoo Mail has been providing mail service since 1997.
8. (uncountable) Email messages conceived in bulk (as with the analogous sense of physical mail).
   • You've got mail [old audio clip announcing new email in the 1990s-2000s]
9. (India, countable, especially) An email message.
   • Please look through those mails and confirm whether you received the one about scheduling.
10. (countable, uncountable) A trunk, box, or bag, in which clothing, etc., may be carried.
    • “Fetch me the little private mail with the padlocks, that I recommended to your particular charge — d'ye hear?” 1819, Jedediah Cleishbotham [pseudonym; Walter Scott], Tales of My Landlord, Third Series. […], volume (please specify |volume=I to IV), Edinburgh: […] [James Ballantyne and Co.] for Archibald Constable and Co.; London: Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme, and Brown, […]; Hurst, Robinson, and Co. […], →OCLC:

Forms

Antonyms

email · mail · mail · email

Deriveds

mailsack · maildrop · mailcoach · V-mail · mail-order · mail bag · mailbag · whitemail · snail-mail · modmail · mail receptacle · mailgram · mail-cheeked · mail code · nonmail · cybermail · by return mail · mail relay · e-mail · carry the mail · mailcall · admail · mailout · mailvan · mailclad · dogsled mail · advertising mail · mailperson · buttock mail · mail-merge · chain-mail · fakemail · mail cover · mailpack · voice mail · mail truck · mailcart · mailroom · e-mail address · seamail · junk mail · jingle mail · mailstorm · hate mail · mailfile · freemail · mail bomb · balloon mail · mail box · mail-out · netmail · snail mail · webmail · mailwoman · flamemail · ham e-mail · v-mail · mail merge · echomail · mail carrier · mail-in · Gmail · air mail · mailcar · voicemail · mail car · mail stop · zeppelin mail · barfmail · mailbox · mail fraud · mailshot · registered mail · electronic mail · mailboat · mailing list · maily · mail-box · mails · mailplane · mail-order bride · penny mail · mail shirt · direct mail · certified mail · mail user agent · mail art · surface mail · aeromail · G-mail · ringmail · bugmail · mailman · mailpiece · mailer · silver mail · facemail · vote-by-mail · mismail · play-by-mail · mail clerk · mail lady · chain mail · mailstore · videomail · mail bombing · mailpeople · email · mailless · fan mail · mail-carrier · mail order · mailcatcher · check is in the mail · bicycle mail · mailship · mail train · airmail · mailrun · mail slot · town mail · unmail · mail flag · accountable mail · read the mail

Descendants

メール · meli

Synonyms

post · snail mail · email · email · snail mail · email

Translations (201)

es correo (parcels and letters) · arz بوسطة (postal delivery system) · be по́шта (postal delivery system) · cs pošta (postal delivery system) · hu villanyposta (electronic mail) · lt paštas (postal delivery system) · fi sähköposti (electronic mail) · ru электро́нная по́чта (electronic mail) · hu drótposta (electronic mail) · he דואר \ דֹּאַר (postal delivery system) · bg електро́нна по́ща (electronic mail) · fa-ira رایانامِه (electronic mail) · da e-post (electronic mail) · lt paštas (parcels and letters) · si තැපැල (postal delivery system) · el ταχυδρομείο (parcels and letters) · sh по̏шта (postal delivery system) · eo poŝto (postal delivery system) · de E-Mail (electronic mail) · fi posti (parcels and letters) · ru корреспонде́нция (parcels and letters) · it posta (postal delivery system) · cmn 郵件 /邮件 (postal delivery system) · id pos (postal delivery system) · de Post (organisation) · ru по́чта (organisation) · fr courrier (parcels and letters) · ro poștă (postal delivery system) · id surel (electronic mail) · io e-posto (electronic mail) · kmr berîd (postal delivery system) · ru мы́ло (electronic mail) · ko 우편 (postal delivery system) · bg пра́тка (parcels and letters) · ug پوچتا (postal delivery system) · pt correio eletrônico (electronic mail) · lv pasts (parcels and letters) · da post (parcels and letters) · sk pošta (parcels and letters) · de Post (parcels and letters) · ca correu (postal delivery system) · tk poçta (postal delivery system) · km សំបុត្រ (parcels and letters) · sv post (organisation) · hy փոստ (parcels and letters) · uk по́шта (postal delivery system) · gl correo (postal delivery system) · kmr poste (postal delivery system) · tl koreo (postal delivery system) · ota پوسته (organisation) · ru по́чта (electronic mail) · ps ډاګ (postal delivery system) · lv pasts (organisation) · es correo electrónico (electronic mail) · da post (postal delivery system) · el ταχυδρομείο (postal delivery system) · sh pȍšta (postal delivery system) · fr correspondance (parcels and letters) · yi פּאָסט (parcels and letters) · es mail (electronic mail) · sv post (parcels and letters) · fr e-mail (electronic mail) · ja 郵便 (parcels and letters) · mk пошта (postal delivery system) · nl post (postal delivery system) · ko 우편 (parcels and letters) · th ไปรษณีย์ (postal delivery system) · tr posta (postal delivery system) · bg имейл (electronic mail) · arz بريد (postal delivery system) · is póstur (postal delivery system) · uk кореспонде́нція (parcels and letters) · da e-mail (electronic mail) · cv пуштӑ (organisation) · cv корреспонденци (parcels and letters) · as ডাক (postal delivery system) · tg почта (postal delivery system) · ota پوسته (parcels and letters) · it posta elettronica (electronic mail) · sk pošta (postal delivery system) · izh posti (postal delivery system) · cmn 郵件 /邮件 (parcels and letters) · ur ڈاک (postal delivery system) · nn post (postal delivery system) · ajp بريد (postal delivery system) · vi bưu chính (postal delivery system) · fi posti (organisation) · fr courriel (electronic mail) · lt paštas (organisation) · dng юҗү (postal delivery system) · mi mēra (parcels and letters) · it e-mail (electronic mail) · pt e-mail (electronic mail) · bg по́ща (electronic mail) · cv пуштӑ (parcels and letters) · hu posta (parcels and letters) · uk по́шта (organisation) · es correspondencia (parcels and letters) · lt el-paštas (electronic mail) · hi डाक (postal delivery system) · sv post (postal delivery system) · el ηλεκτρονικό ταχυδρομείο (electronic mail) · ru по́чта (parcels and letters) · sq postë (postal delivery system) · pt correio (organisation) · fr poste (postal delivery system) · az poçta (postal delivery system) · am ፖስታ (postal delivery system) · ota پوسته (postal delivery system) · cs pošta (organisation) · gl correo (organisation) · io posto (postal delivery system) · de Post (postal delivery system) · cs pošta (parcels and letters) · be карэспандэ́нцыя (parcels and letters) · hu ímél (electronic mail) · gl correo (parcels and letters) · ky почта (postal delivery system) · fr courrier électronique (electronic mail) · nrf courrier (postal delivery system) · kk пошта (postal delivery system) · el αλληλογραφία (parcels and letters) · ar بَرِيد (postal delivery system) · fi posti (postal delivery system) · pdt Post (organisation) · eo retpoŝto (electronic mail) · pt correio (postal delivery system) · et post (postal delivery system) · sv mejl (electronic mail) · uk по́шта (parcels and letters) · it mail (electronic mail) · be по́шта (organisation) · be по́шта (parcels and letters) · bg по́ща (postal delivery system) · hu e-mail (electronic mail) · vi bưu điện (postal delivery system) · fr poste (organisation) · fr courrier (postal delivery system) · rsk пошта (postal delivery system) · km ប្រៃសណីយ៍ (postal delivery system) · lv pasts (postal delivery system) · fa-ira ایمِیل (electronic mail) · ka ფოსტა (parcels and letters) · vi bưu điện (parcels and letters) · yue 郵政 /邮政 (postal delivery system) · bg по́ща (parcels and letters) · el ταχυδρομείο (organisation) · cmn 郵政 /邮政 (postal delivery system) · pl poczta (postal delivery system) · lv (qoloquial) mails (electronic mail) · bg по́ща (organisation) · lo ໄປສະນີ (postal delivery system) · hy փոստ (organisation) · pdt Post (postal delivery system) · yi פּאָסט (postal delivery system) · it poste (organisation) · sv mail (electronic mail) · es correo (organisation) · hu posta (organisation) · ja 郵便 (postal delivery system) · fa-ira پُسْتِ اِلِکْتِرونیک (electronic mail) · da mail (electronic mail) · yue 郵件 /邮件 (postal delivery system) · it posta (parcels and letters) · sk pošta (organisation) · pdt Post (parcels and letters) · bn ডাক (postal delivery system) · ru по́чта (postal delivery system) · bg по́щенска слу́жба (organisation) · cv пуштӑ (postal delivery system) · fa-ira پُسْت (postal delivery system) · ia posta (parcels and letters) · ca correspondència (parcels and letters) · izh posti (parcels and letters) · hu villámposta (electronic mail) · tl sulatroniko (electronic mail) · da postvæsenet (organisation) · my စာပို့စနစ် (postal delivery system) · yi פּאָסט (organisation) · es correo (postal delivery system) · ms pos (postal delivery system) · te తపాలా (postal delivery system) · my စာပို့ဆက်သွယ်ရေး (postal delivery system) · da posten (organisation) · ca correu (parcels and letters) · ca correu electrònic (electronic mail) · lv e-pasts (electronic mail) · pt correspondência (parcels and letters) · hu posta (postal delivery system) · ny makalata (parcels and letters) · ps پوسته (postal delivery system) · uz pochta (postal delivery system) · nb post (postal delivery system) · ajp بوسطة (postal delivery system) · mn шуудан (postal delivery system) · ka ფოსტა (postal delivery system) · my စာပို့ (postal delivery system) · hy փոստ (postal delivery system) · dng почта (postal delivery system) · bcl surat (postal delivery system) · sl pošta (postal delivery system)

mail en · VERB · etymology 1

Pronunciation

• /mel/ (India, North)
• /mɛj(ɪ)l/ (India, South)
• (US) audio
• /meɪl/ (General-American, Received-Pronunciation)

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *molko-der.? Thracianbor.? Proto-Germanic *malhō Frankish *malhabor. Medieval Latin malader. Anglo-Norman malebor. ▲ Old French malebor. Middle English male English mail From Middle English male, from Anglo-Norman male, Old French male (“bag, wallet”), from Frankish *malha (“bag”), from Proto-Germanic *malhō (“bag, pouch”), from Proto-Indo-European *molko- (“leather pouch”). Compare Dutch maal.

Meanings

1. (ditransitive) To send (a letter, parcel, etc.) through the mail.
2. (ditransitive) To send by electronic mail.
   • Since .mp3's are so big (well for me with a 33.6kp/s connection they are anyway) maybe you should offer on your site to mail the file to people who want it, and have them request it, thus saving your web space, your upload time and their download time […] 1998, Michael Tomsett, “Re: Multiple postings?”, in alt.music.manics (Usenet):
   • If you mail an attachment from one mail client then it does not matter if the receiver uses a different mail client. The mail you send should be able to be read from their mail client. 2003, Chrissy, “Re: Send mail with attachment”, in microsoft.public.excel.programming (Usenet):
   • There has been a crackdown on non-ARPA use of a local ARPA gateway, so I am reluctant to attempt to mail the file to ARPA sites. 1983, Donn Seeley, “Source for 'Grab'”, in net.unix-wizards (Usenet):
   • Please mail me the spreadsheet by the end of the day.
3. (transitive) To contact (a person) by electronic mail.
   • I need to mail my tutor about the deadline.
   • He mailed me and said he had managed to hack into my email accounts. 2011, Rose Budworth-Levine, Intimate Encounters, page 41:
   • I was horrified but my data was OK. Then, it saw it open my e-mail package and start to mail my friends. I turned the power off. 2000, Carlton Alton Deltree, “Whoever did this sucks...”, in alt.comp.virus (Usenet):
   • 'Yes, at Quantico. She was so excited by it, she sent all those emails, you remember I told you about it -' 'Yes, she mailed me from there too.' 2002, Jessica Mann, The voice from the grave, page 189:

Forms

Deriveds

remail · mailable · mailing · premail · self-mailing · mail it in · mailer · mail-in vote · mailability

Descendants

เมล์

Synonyms

post (send through the mail)

Translations (30)

pt expedir (to send via the post) · pl wysyłać (to send via the post) · de verschicken (to send via the post) · hu postáz (to send via the post) · de mailen (to send via the post) · sh poslati (to send via the post) · ia inviar (to send via the post) · de versenden (to send via the post) · pt remeter (to send via the post) · ar بريد (to send via the post) · hu elküld (to send via the post) · cv яр (to send via the post) · hu felad (to send via the post) · de schicken (to send via the post) · fr poster (to send via the post) · yue 寄 (to send via the post) · mi pōhi (to send via the post) · fi postittaa (to send via the post) · it inviare (to send via the post) · lt siųsti (to send via the post) · it impostare (to send via the post) · pt postar (to send via the post) · ca enviar (to send via the post) · ia postar (to send via the post) · el ταχυδρομώ (to send via the post) · pl wysłać (to send via the post) · sv posta (to send via the post) · pt enviar (to send via the post) · es enviar (por correo) (to send via the post) · sh послати (to send via the post)

mail en · NOUN · etymology 2

Pronunciation

• /mel/ (India, North)
• /mɛj(ɪ)l/ (India, South)
• (US) audio
• /meɪl/ (General-American, Received-Pronunciation)

Etymology

From Middle English mayle (“mail armor”), borrowed from Old French maille (“loop, stitch”), from Vulgar Latin *macla, from Latin macula (“blemish, mesh”), probably from Proto-Indo-European *smh₁-tleh₂, from *smeh₁- (“smear, rub”). Compare maillot.

Meanings

1. (uncountable, usually) Armour consisting of metal rings linked together.
   • Under the sea-girt cliffs the shining ship was readied, laden with coats of mail, swords, and gleaming war harness. 1961, Norma Lorre Goodrich, “Beowulf”, in The Medieval Myths, New York: The New American Library, page 23:
   • "That's funny looking mail, Sire," said Eustace. "Aye, lad," said Tirian. "No Narnian dwarf smithied that. […] 1956, C. S. Lewis, The Last Battle:
   • The knight is laid in his mail, only the hands and face being bare. 1853, John Ruskin, “Roman Renaissance”, in The Stones of Venice, volume III (The Fall), London: Smith, Elder, and Co., […], →OCLC, § LVII, page 73:
2. (broadly, uncountable, usually) Armour consisting of small plates linked together.
3. (uncountable, usually) A contrivance of interlinked rings, for rubbing off the loose hemp on lines and white cordage.
4. (uncountable, usually) Any hard protective covering of an animal, as the scales and plates of reptiles, shell of a lobster, etc.
   • We […] strip the lobster of his scarlet mail. 1716, John Gay, Epistle to the Earl of Burlington:
   • There beryl, pearl, and opal pale, / And metal wrought like fishes' mail, / Buckler and corslet, axe and sword, / And shining spears were laid in hoard. 1954 July 29, J[ohn] R[onald] R[euel] Tolkien, “A Journey in the Dark”, in The Fellowship of the Ring: Being the First Part of The Lord of the Rings, New York, N.Y.: Ballantine Books, published September 1973, →ISBN, page 412:
5. (obsolete, rare, uncountable, usually) A spot on a bird's feather; by extension, a spotted feather.
   • [T]he moorish-fly: made with the body of duskish wool; and the wings made of the blackish mail of the drake. 1676, Izaak Walton, “[The Compleat Angler or The Contemplative Man’s Recreation: Part I […].] Fovrth Day.”, in Richard Le Gallienne, editor, The Compleat Angler, 5th edition, London; New York, N.Y.: John Lane, The Bodley Head, published 1897, →OCLC, page 116:

Forms

Deriveds

coat of mail · mailler · mailed · scale mail · mailure · chain mail · plate mail

Relateds

mailed

Translations (35)

fr cotte de mailles (armour consisting of metal rings or plates linked together) · de Kettenhemd (armour consisting of metal rings or plates linked together) · bg ризница (armour consisting of metal rings or plates linked together) · hu páncél (armour consisting of metal rings or plates linked together) · fi rengaspanssari (armour consisting of metal rings or plates linked together) · es cota de malla (armour consisting of metal rings or plates linked together) · cmn 鎖子甲 /锁子甲 (armour consisting of metal rings or plates linked together) · gl loriga (armour consisting of metal rings or plates linked together) · pl kolczuga (armour consisting of metal rings or plates linked together) · ja 鎖帷子 (armour consisting of metal rings or plates linked together) · el θώρακας (armour consisting of metal rings or plates linked together) · it cotta di maglia (armour consisting of metal rings or plates linked together) · fi silmukkapanssari (armour consisting of metal rings or plates linked together) · sv brynja (armour consisting of metal rings or plates linked together) · gl cota de malla (armour consisting of metal rings or plates linked together) · es malla (armour consisting of metal rings or plates linked together) · ba һауыт (armour consisting of metal rings or plates linked together) · uk кольчу́га (armour consisting of metal rings or plates linked together) · ru кольчу́га (armour consisting of metal rings or plates linked together) · ca cota de malles (armour consisting of metal rings or plates linked together) · da brynje (armour consisting of metal rings or plates linked together) · la sūta (armour consisting of metal rings or plates linked together) · de Ringpanzerhemd (armour consisting of metal rings or plates linked together) · de Kettenpanzer (armour consisting of metal rings or plates linked together) · izh rautapaita (armour consisting of metal rings or plates linked together) · it cotta (armour consisting of metal rings or plates linked together) · it maglia (armour consisting of metal rings or plates linked together) · sq thurak (armour consisting of metal rings or plates linked together) · pt malha (armour consisting of metal rings or plates linked together) · enm mayle (armour consisting of metal rings or plates linked together) · nl maliënkolder (armour consisting of metal rings or plates linked together) · el πανοπλία (armour consisting of metal rings or plates linked together) · gl cota (armour consisting of metal rings or plates linked together) · de Kettengeflecht (armour consisting of metal rings or plates linked together) · ko 쇄자갑 (armour consisting of metal rings or plates linked together)

mail en · VERB · etymology 2

Pronunciation

• /mel/ (India, North)
• /mɛj(ɪ)l/ (India, South)
• (US) audio
• /meɪl/ (General-American, Received-Pronunciation)

Etymology

From Middle English mayle (“mail armor”), borrowed from Old French maille (“loop, stitch”), from Vulgar Latin *macla, from Latin macula (“blemish, mesh”), probably from Proto-Indo-European *smh₁-tleh₂, from *smeh₁- (“smear, rub”). Compare maillot.

Meanings

1. (transitive) To arm with mail.
2. (transitive) To pinion.

Forms

mail en · NOUN · etymology 3

Pronunciation

• /mel/ (India, North)
• /mɛj(ɪ)l/ (India, South)
• (US) audio
• /meɪl/ (General-American, Received-Pronunciation)

Etymology

From Middle English mal, male from Old English māl (“speech, contract, agreement”) from Old Norse mál (“agreement, speech, lawsuit”). Akin to Old English mǣl (“speech”). Related to Old English mǣlan (mell), maþelian (“to speak out, declare”). From *maþlą (“meeting-place”), possibly from Proto-Indo-European *meh₂d- (“to encounter, come”), if so, related to meet, and moot.

Meanings

1. (countable, historical, uncountable) An old French coin worth half a denier.
2. (Scotland, countable, uncountable) A monetary payment or tribute.
3. (Scotland, countable, uncountable) Rent.
4. (Scotland, countable, uncountable) Tax.

Forms

Deriveds

blackmail · mails and duties