pigeonhole

1 of 2

noun

pi·​geon·​hole ˈpi-jən-ˌhōl 

1

: a hole or small recess for pigeons to nest

2

: a small open compartment (as in a desk or cabinet) for keeping letters or documents

3

: a neat category which usually fails to reflect actual complexities

pigeonhole

2 of 2

verb

pigeonholed; pigeonholing; pigeonholes

transitive verb

1

a

: to place in or as if in the pigeonhole of a desk

b

: to lay aside : shelve

his reports continued to be pigeonholed and his advice not taken

—Walter Mills

2

: to assign to an often restrictive category : classify

pigeonholer

ˈpi-jən-ˌhō-lər 

noun

Examples of pigeonhole in a Sentence

Verb

She likes to perform different types of music because she doesn't want to be pigeonholed.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

But the pigeonhole principle isn’t just for the birds. —Ben Brubaker, Quanta Magazine, 4 Apr. 2025

Dover is a company made up of a portfolio of different end markets and should not be held to a data center pigeonhole. —Jim Cramer, CNBC, 13 Apr. 2025

Verb

But by the end of the decade, Derringer had grown concerned that his work with Yankovic had pigeonholed him as a producer. —Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 27 May 2025

Black content has long been pigeonholed into specific genres and narratives perpetuated by strict stereotyping and dictated, solely, by the gross earnings of what came before. —Adelle Platon, VIBE.com, 15 Apr. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1577, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1840, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing pigeonhole

• put (someone) in a pigeonhole

Rhymes for pigeonhole

• amphibole
• asystole
• buttonhole
• casserole
• centriole
• decontrol
• glycerol
• metropole
• monopole
• multipole
• omeprazole
• oriole

Kids Definition

pigeonhole

1 of 2 noun

pi·​geon·​hole -ˌhōl 

: a small open compartment (as in a desk) for keeping letters or papers

pigeonhole

2 of 2 verb

1

: to place in or as if in the pigeonhole of a desk

2

: to assign to a usually restrictive category