letterboxed

adjective

let·​ter·​boxed ˈle-tər-ˌbäkst How to pronounce letterboxed (audio)
variants or less commonly letterbox
of a video recording
: formatted so as to display the full rectangular frame of a wide-screen motion picture
letterboxing noun

Examples of letterboxed in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The app was technically available on iPad before today, but the lack of full support forced it to run as a letterboxed iPhone app, which impacted the emulator’s touch controls and prevented games from using the full iPad screen. Jess Weatherbed, The Verge, 10 July 2024

Word History

Etymology

perhaps from the resemblance of the picture on the TV screen or the bands above and below the picture to slots in a mailbox

First Known Use

1982, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of letterboxed was in 1982

Dictionary Entries Near letterboxed

Cite this Entry

“Letterboxed.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/letterboxed. Accessed 5 Dec. 2024.

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