mayl
Mail (noun) means Letters, parcels, and other items sent through the postal system. Example: “She checked the mailbox but there was no mail today.”
noun
1
Letters, parcels, and other items sent through the postal system.
"She checked the mailbox but there was no mail today."
"The mail is usually delivered by early afternoon."
"The mail piled up on the doormat while we were on holiday."
2
Email; electronic messages sent over a computer network.
"I need to check my mail before the meeting starts."
"He sent me a mail with the attached report."
"There was a lot of junk mail in my inbox this morning."
3
Flexible armor made from small interlinked metal rings.
"The knight wore a shirt of mail beneath his surcoat."
"The museum displays a long coat of mail from the Middle Ages."
"Wearing mail all day was heavy and hot work for a soldier."
verb
1
To send something through the post or by email.
"Please mail the contract to head office by Friday."
"I'll mail you the photos as soon as I get home."
"We mailed the invitations to all our friends last week."
How to use mail
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishLetters and packages sent by post, or messages sent by email — plus, unrelated, a type of metal-ring armor.
Common mistake
Mail (post/armor) and male (a man, or masculine) are homophones — easy to mix up in writing.
Easily confused with
Common pairings
send mail
check your mail
a coat of mail
junk mail
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Word forms
- Plural
- mails
- Third person singular
- mails
- Past tense
- mailed
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
She checked the mailbox but there was no _____ today.
Etymology
The postal sense comes from Old French male ("bag, wallet"), from a Frankish word for a bag used to carry letters. The armor sense is unrelated, from Old French maille, ultimately from Latin macula ("mesh, spot").
Synonyms
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post
letters
correspondence
parcels
packages
send
get off
ring mail
chain mail
ring armor
chain armor
ring armour
Related words
Rhymes for mail
See all rhymes for mail →Frequently asked questions
What does “mail” mean?
The word “mail” means letters, parcels, and other items sent through the postal system. In plain terms, letters and packages sent by post, or messages sent by email — plus, unrelated, a type of metal-ring armor.
How do you pronounce “mail”?
“Mail” is pronounced mayl (/meɪl/ in IPA).
How do you use “mail” in a sentence?
Here is “mail” used in a sentence: “She checked the mailbox but there was no mail today.”
What part of speech is “mail”?
Depending on how it is used, “mail” can be a noun and a verb.
Where does the word “mail” come from?
The word “mail” comes from Latin. The postal sense comes from Old French male ("bag, wallet"), from a Frankish word for a bag used to carry letters. The armor sense is unrelated, from Old French maille, ultimately from Latin macula ("mesh, spot").
Is “mail” a common word?
“Mail” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the A1 level.
How many meanings does “mail” have?
“Mail” has 4 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: letters, parcels, and other items sent through the postal system.
What is the difference between mail and post?
They mean much the same thing. British English traditionally uses "post" for both the system and the items, as in "I'll post the letter," while American English uses "mail," as in "I'll mail it." "Mail" is now widely understood everywhere, helped along by the word "email."
What is the difference between mail and email?
"Mail" traditionally means physical letters and parcels delivered by the postal service, sometimes called snail mail. "Email" is electronic mail sent over the internet. In casual speech "mail" now often means email as well, so context tells you whether a message is on paper or digital.
Is mail a verb or a noun?
Both. As a noun, "mail" is the collection of letters and parcels sent by post. As a verb, to "mail" something is to send it through the postal system, common in American English. There is also an unrelated older noun, "mail," meaning armour made of linked metal rings.
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