mail

1 of 4

noun (1)

ˈmāl 

often attributive

1

a

: 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

b

: email sense 2a

c

: a conveyance that transports mail

2

: a nation's postal system

a letter sent through the mail

—often used in plural

packages sent through the mails

3

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)

1

: armor made of metal links or sometimes plates

2

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

mailed

ˈmāld 

adjective

mail

4 of 4

noun (3)

chiefly Scotland

: payment, rent

Synonyms

Noun (1)

• correspondence
• letter
• message
• package
• card
• post [chiefly British]

Verb

• post
• address

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

Applications will be available for download by June 30, on the agency’s website, and may be submitted by email or mail prior to Aug. 1, according to officials. —Stephen Underwood, Hartford Courant, 29 June 2025

To send a letter to the editor about this article, submit online or check out our guidelines for how to submit by email or mail. —Mark Michalek, Denver Post, 28 June 2025

Verb

The ticket intended for his former girlfriend was mailed to her home, but her mother opened the mail because the woman was out of the country. —Charles Rabin, Miami Herald, 27 June 2025

Notification letters are expected to be mailed to owners by Aug. 5. —Natalie Neysa Alund, USA Today, 27 June 2025

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

Phrases Containing mail

• by return mail
• certified mail
• chain mail
• coat of mail
• direct mail
• electronic mail
• e-mail
• fan mail
• hate mail
• Irish mail
• junk e-mail
• junk mail
• lost in the mail
• mail carrier
• mail drop
• mail order
• mail-order catalog
• mail room
• registered mail
• snail mail
• surface mail
• voice mail

Rhymes for mail

• ail
• ale
• bail
• baile
• dail
• fail
• flail
• frail
• gael
• gail
• grail
• hail

Kids Definition

mail

1 of 3 noun

ˈmā(ə)l 

1

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

2

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

3

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

4

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

do business by mail

5

: 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"