letter box

noun

variants or letterbox

ˈle-tər-ˌbäks 

plural letter boxes or letterboxes

1

British : a mailbox: such as

a

: a box at or near a dwelling for the occupant's mail

b

: a public box for deposit of outgoing mail

2

usually letterbox : a container holding a rubber stamp and notebook log that is hidden in a usually outdoor location for letterboxing enthusiasts to find

Like geocaching, letterboxing involves a search for hidden containers, or letterboxes, that can be found using online clues. The letterboxes usually contain a log book and a hand-carved rubber stamp.

—The Star (Auburn, Indiana)

Examples of letter box in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Reminiscent of the round-top letter boxes introduced in the late 1800s, this post box from Anthropologie’s home and garden brand Terrain has enough retro charm to display near the front door or as a unique organizer in your home office. — Blake Bakkila, Architectural Digest, 3 June 2025

After agreeing to a plea deal, prosecutors dismissed two additional charges of using an explosive to commit a felony and destruction of a letter box. — Jennifer Rodriguez, Kansas City Star, 25 Feb. 2025

An old woman, pulling a wheelie shopper, stopped at a letter box. — Mary Costello, The New Yorker, 9 Oct. 2023

Vornado has saved a few items, including a bronze letter box and some decorative elements from the Café Rouge area. — Dan Barry, New York Times, 2 Mar. 2023

And so, many of the early patents for electrical indicators for letter boxes tried to replace or augment the postman’s knock. — IEEE Spectrum, 8 Aug. 2018

Word History

First Known Use

1727, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for letter box

• aftershocks
• chatterbox
• chickenpox
• equinox
• firebox
• goldilocks
• hollyhocks
• interlocks
• orthodox
• paradox
• tomahawks
• balks