pigeon-hole

A librarian places a returned book into its pigeon-hole.

Definition

1. Noun:

   • A small compartment or recess: "pigeon-hole" refers to one of a set of small open boxes or compartments used for storing or sorting documents, letters, or other items.
   • A category or classification: Metaphorically, "pigeon-hole" means a narrow or oversimplified category into which someone or something is placed.

2. Verb:

   • To place into a small compartment: To put something, such as a document, into a specific pigeon-hole for storage or organization.
   • To assign to a fixed or narrow category: To label or classify someone or something in a restrictive or simplistic way, often ignoring individual differences.
   • To set aside or postpone: To shelve or delay dealing with something, such as a question or plan.

Usage Examples

• Noun:

  • She left the memo in my pigeon-hole at the office. (A small compartment for sorting mail.)
  • The actor refused to be put in the pigeon-hole of a romantic lead. (A limiting category.)

• Verb:

  • He pigeon-holed the reports alphabetically in the cabinet. (Placed into compartments.)
  • Critics tend to pigeon-hole her music as pop, though it blends many genres. (Label simplistically.)
  • The committee decided to pigeon-hole the proposal until next year. (Postpone or shelve.)

Advanced Usage

• "to pigeon-hole someone": to unfairly or prematurely assign a fixed role or identity to a person.

  • Teachers should avoid pigeon-holing students based on early test scores. (Limiting students to a narrow label.)

• "to pigeon-hole a problem": to set aside a problem without resolving it.

  • Management chose to pigeon-hole the budget issue rather than address it. (Delay dealing with.)

Variants and Related Words

• Pigeonhole (n, v): the same as "pigeon-hole" (often written as one word).

  • My pigeonhole is full of unread notices. (Compartments.)
  • Don't pigeonhole him as just a comedian; he's a serious actor too. (Label narrowly.)

• Pigeonholing (n): the act of assigning to a narrow category.

  • Pigeonholing artists by genre limits their creative freedom. (Restrictive classification.)

Synonyms

• Compartment: a separate section or division.
• Categorize: to place in a particular class or group.
• Label: to assign a descriptive term or category.
• Shelve: to decide not to proceed with (a plan or issue) for the time being.

Phrasal Verbs

• Pigeon-hole ... away: to store or file something in a pigeon-hole.

  • He pigeon-holed the contracts away in the drawer. (Placed into compartments for safekeeping.)

• Pigeon-hole ... into: to force something into a specific category.

  • They tried to pigeon-hole her ideas into a single political framework. (Restrictively classify.)

Related Idioms

• Put someone in a pigeon-hole: to assign someone to a fixed, often simplistic, category.

  • Don't put me in a pigeon-hole just because I enjoy both science and art. (Label me narrowly.)

• Out of the pigeon-hole: taken from storage or from a specific category.

  • He pulled the old proposal out of the pigeon-hole for review. (Retrieved from storage.)