English
Pronunciation
Etymology 1
From Anglo-Norman male, meole et al., Old French male (“bag, wallet”), ultimately from Proto-Germanic *malhō (“bag, pouch”), from Proto-Indo-European *molko- (“leather pouch”). Compare Dutch maal.
Noun
mail (countable and uncountable; plural mails)
- (now regional) A bag or wallet. [from 13th c.]
- 1499, John Skelton, The Bowge of Courte:
- What, loo, man, see here of dyce a bale; / A brydelynge caste for that is in thy male!
- 1499, John Skelton, The Bowge of Courte:
- A bag containing letters to be delivered by post; the material conveyed by the postal service. [from 17th c.]
- Don't forget to pick up the mail on your way.
- 1823, The stranger in Liverpool; or, An historical and descriptive view of the town of Liverpool and its environs, Seventh Edition,[1] T. Kaye, page 96,
- The following are the hours at which the letter-box of this office is closed for making up the several mails, and the hours at which each mail is despatched: ¶ […]
- 1887, John Houston Merrill (editor), The American and English Encyclopædia of Law, Volume I,[2] Edward Thompson, page 121,
- If he retains the account, and permits several mails to pass without objecting to it, he will be held to have admitted its correctness.
- A person or vehicle that delivers such post; the postal service or system in general. [from 17th c.]
- He decided to send his declaration by mail.
- (chiefly US) The letters, parcels etc delivered to a particular address or person. [from 19th c.]
- (uncountable) electronic mail, e-mail: a computer network–based service for sending, storing, and forwarding electronic messages. [from 20th c.]
- See mails.
Synonyms
- (regular deliver of letters and small parcels): post (UK, Ireland, other dialects?)
Derived terms
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Translations
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- The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables, removing any numbers. Numbers do not necessarily match those in definitions. See instructions at Help:How to check translations.
Verb
mail (third-person singular simple present mails, present participle mailing, simple past and past participle mailed)
- (transitive) to send (a letter or parcel) through the mail
Synonyms
- (send through the mail): post
Derived terms
Translations
Etymology 2
From Middle English maille (“mail armor”), from Old French maille (“loop, stich”), from Latin macula (“blemish, mesh”), probably from Proto-Indo-European *smh₁-tleh₂, from *smeh₁- (“smear, rub”).
Noun
mail (uncountable)
- (uncountable) armour consisting of metal rings or plates linked together.
Derived terms
- chain mail
- plate mail
- scale mail
- mailed
Translations
Etymology 3
Middle English mal, male from Old English māl (“speech, contract, agreement”) from Old Norse mál (“agreement, speech, lawsuit”). Akin to Old English mæl (“mǣl”).
Alternative forms
- maill
Noun
mail (plural mails)
Anagrams
Fiji Hindi
Etymology
From English mile (“imperial measure of distance”).
Pronunciation
- IPA: /maɪl/
Noun
References
French
Pronunciation
- IPA: /maj/
Etymology 1
From Latin malleus (“hammer”).
Noun
mail m (plural mails)
- mallet
- (sports, historical) pall mall
- mall, promenade
- (Quebec) mall, shopping mall
Etymology 2
From English email
Noun
mail m (plural mails)
Synonyms
Anagrams
Italian
↑Jump back a sectionRomansch
Alternative forms
Etymology
From Latin mālum. Compare Romanian măr.
Noun
mail m (plural mails)
Synonyms
- (Puter) pom
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