mailbox

mailbox — noun

1. a container for receiving letters and packages, usually placed near the entrance

1.nounA2
Definition

a container for receiving letters and packages, usually placed near the entrance of a house or building

Example

The postman put a package in our mailbox before lunch.

collocation: put [item] in [the] mailbox

Ignacio painted his mailbox bright red so drivers could see it easily.

Common collocations
  • put mail / a letter in the mailbox
  • check the mailbox
  • deliver to the mailbox
  • the mailbox is full
Synonyms
  • letterbox

    more common in British English; can be a slot in a door rather than a separate box

2. a public container in a street or other place where you drop letters to be sent

2.nounA2
Definition

a public container in a street or other place where you drop letters to be sent through the postal service

Example

Omar dropped his birthday card into the mailbox on the corner.

collocation: drop [item] into [the] mailbox

The red mailbox outside the library is emptied every afternoon at three.

passive: is emptied

Common collocations
  • drop a letter in the mailbox
  • find a mailbox
  • mailbox collection time
  • post a letter in the mailbox
Synonyms
  • postbox

    more common in British English

  • pillar box

    British English term for a large cylindrical public postbox, usually painted red

Usage Note

In British English this is more commonly called a postbox or a pillar box. In American English, mailbox is used for both home delivery boxes and public collection boxes.

3. a storage area on a device such as a computer or phone that collects and display

3.nounA1
Definition

a storage area on a device such as a computer or phone that collects and displays incoming email messages

Example

Talia checks her email mailbox every morning before breakfast.

collocation: check [one's] email mailbox

In Otis's work mailbox, fifty unread messages were waiting after his holiday.

Common collocations
  • check your mailbox
  • mailbox is full
  • new message in mailbox
  • empty the mailbox
  • inbox / sent folder
Synonyms
  • inbox

    the main folder for received emails; more common in software interfaces than mailbox

Usage Note

In most email software, the term inbox is more commonly used for the main folder where new messages appear. Mailbox can refer to the entire email storage area, including other folders such as Sent and Drafts.

Common Mistakes

I sent it to your mailbox' (when meaning an email folder).
I sent it to your inbox.
mailbox often refers to all email storage, while inbox means the folder for received messages.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Mailbox is the most general term in American English and can refer both to a home delivery container and a public collection container. Letterbox is the British English equivalent for a home mail slot or box — it often refers to a narrow opening in a front door rather than a standalone box. Postbox (or pillar box) is the British term for a public collection box, typically a red cylindrical container on the street. When choosing which word to use, consider your audience: American readers will understand mailbox for all purposes, while British readers typically distinguish between letterbox (home) and postbox (public). For example: 'She dropped the letter in the postbox on her way to work' (British) sounds odd to an American, who would say 'mailbox.' Conversely, 'The letterbox is full' (British) means the slot in the front door, not a roadside box.

mailbox ↗letterboxpostbox

Common collocations

Nouns

  • mailbox key
  • mailbox number
  • mailbox address

Phrases

  • check the mailbox
  • empty the mailbox
  • the mailbox is full
  • put something in the mailbox
  • take something out of the mailbox

Prepositions

  • in the mailbox
  • into the mailbox
  • out of the mailbox
  • from the mailbox

Etymology

Old FrenchEnglishmodern English

Mailbox is a compound word formed from 'mail' (postal letters and packages) and 'box' (a container). The word 'mail' came into English through Old French 'male' meaning a bag or wallet, which was used to carry letters. 'Box' comes from Old English 'box' meaning a container made of wood. The compound 'mailbox' first appeared in the early 1800s as postal systems grew and households began having dedicated boxes for receiving letters. In the 1970s and 1980s, with the rise of electronic mail, the word took on a second meaning for digital message storage on computers.