A stack of mail.
- The definition of mail is related to the handling or delivery of letters and packages.
An example of mail used as an adjective is in the title "mail carrier."
- Mail is defined as letters, cards, papers and packages delivered by the postal service.
An example of mail is a postcard.
- Mail means to send something through the postal service.
An example of mail is to send someone a bill.
- Now Scot. a bag or piece of baggage
- Archaic a bag or packet of letters, etc. to be transported by post
- letters, papers, packages, etc. handled, transported, and delivered by the post office or other delivery service
- ⌂ letters, papers, etc. received or sent by a person, company, etc.
- the system of collection, transportation, and delivery of letters, packages, etc.; postal systemalso called the mails
- the collection or delivery of letters, packages, etc. at a certain time: late for the morning mail
- Chiefly Brit. a vehicle for mail
- Comput. e-mail
Origin of mail
Middle English male ; from Old French ; from Middle High German malhe, a traveling bag ; from Old High German malaha, wallet- carrying, or used in the handling of, mail
- designating a person, or boat, train, etc. that transports letters, packages, etc.
- flexible body armor made of small, overlapping metal rings, loops of chain, or scales
- the hard protective covering of some animals, as turtles
Origin of mail
Middle English maile ; from Old French maille, a link, mesh ; from Classical Latin macula, a spot, mesh of a net
Origin of mail
Middle English male, rent, tribute: see blackmail
noun
- a. Materials, such as letters and packages, handled in a postal system: The volume of mail increases around the holidays.b. Postal material for a specific person or organization: Could you pick up my mail at the office?c. Material processed for distribution from a post office at a specified time: delivered the morning mail around town.
- A postal system. Used with the, sometimes in the plural: used the mail to send the supplies; advertisements sent through the mails.
- Chiefly British A vehicle by which mail is transported.
- Mail or messages sent electronically; e-mail.
verb
mailed, mail·ing, mailsverb
, transitiveverb
, intransitiveOrigin of mail
Middle English male, bag, from Old French, of Germanic origin.Related Forms:
- mail′a·ble
adjective
noun
- Flexible armor composed of small overlapping metal rings, loops of chain, or scales.
- The protective covering of certain animals, as the shell of a turtle.
transitive verb
mailed, mail·ing, mailsOrigin of mail
Middle English, from Old French maile, from Latin macula, blemish, mesh.noun
ScotsOrigin of mail
Middle English mol, maile, from Old Norse mal, lawsuit.
(countable and uncountable, plural mails)
- (now regional) A bag or wallet. [from 13th c.]
- A bag containing letters to be delivered by post; the material conveyed by the postal service. [from 17th c.]
- Don't forget to pick up the mail on your way.
- A person or vehicle that delivers such post; the postal service or system in general. [from 17th c.]
- He decided to send his declaration by mail.
- (chiefly US) (uncountable) The letters, parcels etc delivered to a particular address or person. [from 19th c.]
- (uncountable) electronic mail, e-mail: a computer network-based service for sending, storing, and forwarding electronic messages. [from 20th c.]
- A trunk, box, or bag, in which clothing, etc., may be carried.
- See mails.
(third-person singular simple present mails, present participle mailing, simple past and past participle mailed)
From Anglo-Norman male, meole et al., Old French male (“bag, wallet"), ultimately from Proto-Germanic *malhÅ (“bag, pouch"), from Proto-Indo-European *molko- (“leather pouch"). Compare Dutch maal.
(uncountable)
(third-person singular simple present mails, present participle mailing, simple past and past participle mailed)
From Middle English maille (“mail armor"), from Old French maille (“loop, stich"), from Latin macula (“blemish, mesh"), probably from Proto-Indo-European *smhâ‚-tlehâ‚‚, from *smehâ‚- (“smear, rub").
Middle English mal, male from Old English mÄl (“speech, contract, agreement") from Old Norse mál (“agreement, speech, lawsuit"). Akin to Old English mæl (“mÇ£l").
mail - Computer Definition
(1) Synonymous with e-mail when dealing with computer applications.
(2) (Mail) The e-mail clients in the Mac and Windows. Mail was the name of the Mac client before Microsoft adopted it for Windows 8. See Mac Mail and Windows Mail.
