mail Lexical Profile
mail Game Scores & Validity
• noun
Letters and packages sent or delivered by means of the postal system.
"I received a lot of mail today, mostly consisting of utility bills and local advertisements."
The public system or government organization responsible for the collection and delivery of letters and packages.
"The signed contract is currently in the mail and should arrive at your office by Friday."
Flexible armor consisting of interlocking metal rings or plates.
"The medieval knight was protected by a heavy hauberk of chain mail."
• verb
North American To send a letter or package using the postal system.
"Please mail this package to our corporate headquarters by tomorrow morning."
To send a message electronically to a person's computer or mobile device.
"I will mail you the revised financial projections as soon as the meeting concludes."
Word Nuance & Usage
The word 'mail' represents two distinct etymological homographs: one meaning postal correspondence (originating from a medieval word for a bag) and the other meaning flexible metal armor (originating from a Latin word for mesh).
• Rhymes for mail
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
The postal sense derives from Middle English 'male' (a bag or wallet), from Old French, of Germanic origin. The armor sense comes from Middle English 'maille', from Old French, tracing back to Latin 'macula' (spot, mesh).
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.