mailman
/'meilmæn/
Definition
- Noun:
- A person, specifically a man, whose job is to deliver mail: A mailman is an employee of a postal service who transports and delivers letters, packages, and other postal items to homes and businesses.
Usage
- The word "mailman" is a compound noun formed from "mail" and "man." It is commonly used in American English. In modern contexts, gender-neutral terms like "mail carrier" or "postal worker" are often preferred.
- It is used to refer to the specific individual who regularly delivers mail on a particular route.
Examples
- Noun:
- The mailman arrives every day around noon.
- I left a note for the mailman to hold our packages while we are on vacation.
- Our regular mailman is very friendly and always says hello.
Advanced Usage
- "Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds": This famous unofficial motto of postal services highlights the dedication often associated with the role of a mailman.
- The term can be used in a nostalgic or cultural context to refer to a familiar community figure.
Variants and Related Words
- Mail carrier (n): A gender-neutral term for a person who delivers mail.
- Postman (n): The common term used in British English, equivalent to "mailman."
- Letter carrier (n): Another formal term for a person who delivers mail.
- Postal worker (n): A broader term for anyone employed by a postal service.
Synonyms
- Postman: (Chiefly British) A person who delivers mail.
- Letter carrier: A person who delivers letters and small packages.
- Courier: A person or company employed to deliver messages, packages, or mail. (Note: This often implies express or private delivery services.)
Idioms and Phrases
- "Going postal": (Idiom, informal and potentially offensive) This phrase, originating from incidents involving postal workers in the US, refers to someone becoming extremely and uncontrollably angry. It is not a direct reference to the job of a mailman but is etymologically linked to the postal service.
- After the computer crashed for the third time, he almost went postal.
Noun
-
a man who delivers the mail
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