Definition

1. Noun:
   • A horse kept at an inn or post house for use by mail carriers or for rent to travelers: A horse that was stationed at designated stops (posts) along a mail or travel route to be used by riders carrying mail or by paying travelers needing a fresh mount.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • The courier changed his tired mount for a fresh post-horse at the coaching inn.
  • In the 18th century, a traveler could rent a post-horse to continue his journey with greater speed.

Advanced Usage

• Historical Context: The term is primarily historical, relating to systems of mail and travel before the advent of railroads and automobiles. It evokes the era of stagecoaches and postal routes.
  • The efficiency of the Royal Mail depended on a network of well-maintained post-horses.

Variants and Related Words

• Post horse (alternative spelling): The same meaning, sometimes written as two words.
• Post (noun, historical): One of the stations or inns where such horses were kept.
  • They stopped at the next post to rest and change horses.
• Post chaise (noun, historical): A fast carriage for travelers, pulled by horses hired from posts along the route.

Synonyms

• Relay horse: A horse used in a system where animals are replaced at intervals to maintain speed.
• Stage horse: A horse used for pulling a stagecoach, often changed at regular stops.

Notes on Meaning

• The term is compound, formed from "post" (referring to a station on a route) and "horse." Its meaning is specific to historical systems of transport and communication. It is not used in modern contexts except when discussing history.

Noun

1. a horse kept at an inn or post house for use by mail carriers or for rent to travelers