mail

1 of 4

noun (1)

ˈmāl

often attributive

Synonyms of mail next

: material (such as letters and packages) sent or carried in a postal system

sorting through the mail

also : similar material distributed within an organization

interoffice mail

: email sense 2a

: a conveyance that transports mail

: a nation's postal system

a letter sent through the mail

—often used in plural

packages sent through the mails

chiefly Scotland : bag, wallet

mail

2 of 4

verb

mailed; mailing; mails

transitive verb

: to send by mail : post entry 4

mailability

ˌmā-lə-ˈbi-lə-tē

noun

mailable

ˈmā-lə-bəl

adjective

mail

3 of 4

noun (2)

: armor made of metal links or sometimes plates

: a hard enclosing covering of an animal (such as a tortoise)

mailed

ˈmāld

adjective

mail

4 of 4

Examples of mail in a Sentence

Noun (1) began receiving lots of mail after he became known as a frequent donor to charities Verb if you don't mail that letter soon, it's going to arrive late

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

If a violation is found, the specialist will post a notice on the property and alert the resident or landlord by mail. —

Victoria Moorwood, The Enquirer, 8 July 2024 Each day, our 640,000 employees operate 32,000 retail and operational centers across our nation, and use 45,000 trucks, 256,000 delivery vehicles and 200 aircraft to accept and deliver 425 million pieces of mail and packages to and from more than 330 million people. —

Louis Dejoy, Washington Post, 8 July 2024

Verb

Voters should either mail them in or vote in person by machine. —

Sam Kmack, The Arizona Republic, 9 July 2024 Recall notification letters are expected to be mailed on July 27. —

Ahjané Forbes, USA TODAY, 8 July 2024 See all Example Sentences for mail

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'mail.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English male, from Anglo-French, of Germanic origin; akin to Old High German malaha bag

Noun (2)

Middle English maille metal link, mail, from Anglo-French, from Latin macula spot, mesh

Noun (3)

Middle English male, maille, from Old English māl agreement, pay, from Old Norse māl speech, agreement; akin to Old English mǣl speech

First Known Use

Noun (1)

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 3

Verb

1827, in the meaning defined above

Noun (2)

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun (3)

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler

The first known use of mail was before the 12th century

See more words from the same century

Phrases Containing mail

Cite this Entry

Style

“Mail.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mail. Accessed 15 Jul. 2024.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

mail

1 of 3 noun

ˈmā(ə)l

: letters or parcels sent from one person to another especially through the post office

: something that comes in the mail and especially in a single delivery

: a vehicle (as a train, truck, or boat) that carries mail

: the system used in the public sending and delivery of letters and parcels

do business by mail

: email sense 2

mail

2 of 3 verb

: to send by mail : post

mailable

ˈmā-lə-bəl

adjective

mailer noun

mail

3 of 3 noun

: armor made of small metal links or sometimes plates

a coat of mail

mailed

ˈmā(ə)ld

adjective

Etymology

Noun

Middle English male "a wallet or traveling bag," from early French male (same meaning); of Germanic origin

Noun

Middle English maille "metal plates used on armor," from early French maille (same meaning), derived from Latin macula "spot, mesh of a net"

Last Updated: 12 Jul 2024 - Updated example sentences

Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.

Can you solve 4 words at once?

Word of the Day

limpid

See Definitions and Examples »

Get Word of the Day daily email!

mail

noun (1)

verb

noun (2)

noun (3)

Synonyms

Examples of mail in a Sentence

Word History

Dictionary Entries Near mail

Cite this Entry

Kids Definition