mailbox
/ˈmeɪlbɒks/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈmeɪlbɑːks/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈmāl-ˌbäks/ (ame, mw)
mailbox — noun
- mailboxsingular
- mailboxesplural
1. a container for receiving letters and packages, usually placed near the entrance
a container for receiving letters and packages, usually placed near the entrance of a house or building
The postman put a package in our mailbox before lunch.
collocation: put [item] in [the] mailbox
Ignacio painted his mailbox bright red so drivers could see it easily.
A new mailbox was installed outside the apartment building last Tuesday.
Kasia found a thank-you note in her mailbox from the neighbour next door.
- letterbox
more common in British English; can be a slot in a door rather than a separate box
2. a public container in a street or other place where you drop letters to be sent
a public container in a street or other place where you drop letters to be sent through the postal service
Omar dropped his birthday card into the mailbox on the corner.
collocation: drop [item] into [the] mailbox
The red mailbox outside the library is emptied every afternoon at three.
passive: is emptied
Saira walked three blocks to find a mailbox after the post office closed.
Daichi asked the shopkeeper where the nearest mailbox was.
- postbox
more common in British English
- pillar box
British English term for a large cylindrical public postbox, usually painted red
用法筆記
In British English this is more commonly called a postbox or a pillar box. In American English, mailbox is used for both home delivery boxes and public collection boxes.
3. a storage area on a device such as a computer or phone that collects and display
a storage area on a device such as a computer or phone that collects and displays incoming email messages
Talia checks her email mailbox every morning before breakfast.
collocation: check [one's] email mailbox
In Otis's work mailbox, fifty unread messages were waiting after his holiday.
A warning appears in my mailbox when the storage space is running low.
Christopher moved the spam emails from his mailbox into a separate folder.
- inbox
the main folder for received emails; more common in software interfaces than mailbox
用法筆記
In most email software, the term inbox is more commonly used for the main folder where new messages appear. Mailbox can refer to the entire email storage area, including other folders such as Sent and Drafts.