Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English homepage

Sense: 1-3
Date: 1200-1300
Language: Old French
Origin: male 'bag'
Sense: 4
Date: 1200-1300
Language: French
Origin: maille, from Latin macula 'spot, woven threads'

mail

1 noun
     
NEW! See related topics: DEFENCEMAILCOMPUTERS
mail1 S3 W3 [uncountable]
1 the letters and packages that are delivered to you:
She's been reading my private mail.
He found a mountain of mail waiting for him.
He promised to forward my mail to my new address. (=send it from my old home or office)
He gets sacks of fan mail. (=letters from people who admire him and are his fans)
hate mail (=letters from people saying that they hate you)
2 especially American English the system of collecting and delivering letters and packages [= post British English]
The mail here's really slow and unreliable.
The product will be sold mainly through the mail.
in the mail
I'll put the check in the mail tomorrow.
by mail
Did you send the document by mail?
registered/express/first-class etc mail
I sent my application by registered mail.
Most reports are sent via internal mail (=a system of sending documents to people inside the same organization).
3TD messages that are sent and received on a computer [= email]:
You should always check your incoming mail (=messages that you receive) every day.
Please read the mail message for information on the error.
4PMD armour made of small pieces of metal, worn by soldiers in the Middle Ages
➔ voice mailWORD FOCUS: mail WORD FOCUS: mail
things that people send: letter, postcard, package also parcel British English, junk mail
ways of sending mail: first class/second class British English, airmail, surface mail, special delivery
the person who delivers your mail: postman/postwoman British English, mailman American English, letter carrier American English
the place where you buy stamps, send letters and packages etc: post office
the place where you put letters and packages: postbox British English/mailbox American English
the place where you receive letters and packages: letterbox British English/mailbox American English
Definition from the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
Advanced Learner's Dictionary.
 
Dictionary pictures of the day
Do you know what each of these is called?
What is the word for picture 1? What is the word for picture 2? What is the word for picture 3? What is the word for picture 4?
Click on any of the pictures above to find out what it is called.

Explore our topic dictionary

ADVERTISING AND MARKETINGANIMALSBANKING
BIOLOGYBUSINESS BASICSCOMPUTERS
CLOTHESDAILY LIFEEDUCATION
FINANCEFOODGRAMMAR
HAIR AND BEAUTYHUMANLAW
MUSICNATURESPORT
STOCKS AND SHARESTECHNOLOGYTRADE