Postman: The British Word That Never Became Mailman
A postman delivers letters and parcels in British English. The official title is postal worker, and the round is what the job is called.
A postman delivers post in Britain and Ireland. The trade has its own vocabulary: the delivery route is a *round*, the sorting happens in a *delivery office*, and *postie* is the affectionate name most people actually use. Postal worker is the official inclusive title.
- A postal delivery worker (British). *The postman has been.*
- Postwoman — the same job. *Our postwoman knows everyone.*
- Postie — informal. *Ask the postie.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | postman | A regular postman. |
| Plural | postmen | Two postmen. |
| Female | postwoman | The postwoman called. |
| Neutral | postal worker | Postal workers voted. |
| American | mailman | The mailman came. |
How it is used in a sentence
- The postman comes before nine.Everyday British.
- He walked the same round for thirty years.Round is the British word for the route.
- Postal workers handle billions of items a year.The formal term.
Postal vocabulary in Britain
- Round — the delivery route
- Delivery office — where post is sorted for rounds
- Sorting office — the larger regional facility
- Recorded delivery — requiring a signature
- Franking — printed postage used by businesses
A compound of *post*, the mail, and *man*. The mail sense of *post* comes from the relay stations where fresh horses were posted along a route.
Postman or postal worker?
Postal worker is the official title and covers everyone. Postman and postwoman are the everyday words in Britain.
Why is the route called a round?
Because it is a circuit walked or driven and returned from, rather than a straight line.