Mailbox, Postbox, Letterbox: Three Words, Three Places
A mailbox receives mail. British and American English disagree about which box is which, and email added a fourth meaning.
A mailbox in American English is the box where your post is delivered. British English calls that a *letterbox* — often a slot in the door — and reserves *postbox* for the red one in the street that you post letters into. Email then borrowed *mailbox* for the place messages arrive, which happens to match the American sense exactly.
- A box for receiving post (American). *Check the mailbox.*
- An electronic message store. *Your mailbox is full.*
- Letterbox — the British slot or box for deliveries. *Through the letterbox.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | mailbox | A dented mailbox. |
| Plural | mailboxes | Rows of mailboxes. |
| British | letterbox | A brass letterbox. |
| British | postbox | The corner postbox. |
| Related | pillar box | A Victorian pillar box. |
How it is used in a sentence
- The bill was in the mailbox.American.
- It came through the letterbox this morning.British.
- Empty your mailbox before the quota is reached.Email.
Post vocabulary across the Atlantic
- Mail / post — the noun for what is delivered
- Mailbox / letterbox — where it arrives
- Postbox / mailbox — where you send it from
- Mailman / postman — who brings it
- Zip code / postcode — the sorting code
A compound of *mail* and *box*. *Mail* comes from Old French *male*, a bag or trunk — the bag became the contents, and then the whole system.
Mailbox or postbox in Britain?
Postbox is the one in the street. The box or slot at your house is a letterbox.
Why does mail mean a bag?
Because letters travelled in a leather bag, and the name of the bag transferred first to the contents and then to the service.