Post office

Post office
Post Post, n. [F. poste, LL. posta station, post (where horses were kept), properly, a fixed or set place, fem. fr. L. positus placed, p. p. of ponere. See {Position}, and cf. {Post} a pillar.] 1. The place at which anything is stopped, placed, or fixed; a station. Specifically: (a) A station, or one of a series of stations, established for the refreshment and accommodation of travelers on some recognized route; as, a stage or railway post. (b) A military station; the place at which a soldier or a body of troops is stationed; also, the troops at such a station. (c) The piece of ground to which a sentinel's walk is limited. [1913 Webster]

2. A messenger who goes from station; an express; especially, one who is employed by the government to carry letters and parcels regularly from one place to another; a letter carrier; a postman. [1913 Webster]

In certain places there be always fresh posts, to carry that further which is brought unto them by the other. --Abp. Abbot. [1913 Webster]

I fear my Julia would not deign my lines, Receiving them from such a worthless post. --Shak. [1913 Webster]

3. An established conveyance for letters from one place or station to another; especially, the governmental system in any country for carrying and distributing letters and parcels; the post office; the mail; hence, the carriage by which the mail is transported. [1913 Webster]

I send you the fair copy of the poem on dullness, which I should not care to hazard by the common post. --Pope. [1913 Webster]

4. Haste or speed, like that of a messenger or mail carrier. [Obs.] ``In post he came.'' --Shak. [1913 Webster]

5. One who has charge of a station, especially of a postal station. [Obs.] [1913 Webster]

He held office of postmaster, or, as it was then called, post, for several years. --Palfrey. [1913 Webster]

6. A station, office, or position of service, trust, or emolument; as, the post of duty; the post of danger. [1913 Webster]

The post of honor is a private station. --Addison. [1913 Webster]

7. A size of printing and writing paper. See the Table under {Paper}. [1913 Webster]

{Post and pair}, an old game at cards, in which each player a hand of three cards. --B. Jonson.

{Post bag}, a mail bag.

{Post bill}, a bill of letters mailed by a postmaster.

{Post chaise}, or {Post coach}, a carriage usually with four wheels, for the conveyance of travelers who travel post.

{Post day}, a day on which the mall arrives or departs.

{Post hackney}, a hired post horse. --Sir H. Wotton.

{Post horn}, a horn, or trumpet, carried and blown by a carrier of the public mail, or by a coachman.

{Post horse}, a horse stationed, intended, or used for the post.

{Post hour}, hour for posting letters. --Dickens.

{Post office}. (a) An office under governmental superintendence, where letters, papers, and other mailable matter, are received and distributed; a place appointed for attending to all business connected with the mail. (b) The governmental system for forwarding mail matter.

{Postoffice order}. See {Money order}, under {Money}.

{Post road}, or {Post route}, a road or way over which the mail is carried.

{Post town}. (a) A town in which post horses are kept. (b) A town in which a post office is established by law.

{To ride post}, to ride, as a carrier of dispatches, from place to place; hence, to ride rapidly, with as little delay as possible.

{To travel post}, to travel, as a post does, by relays of horses, or by keeping one carriage to which fresh horses are attached at each stopping place. [1913 Webster]


The Collaborative International Dictionary of English. 2000.

Игры ⚽ Нужна курсовая?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Post Office — Année d émission 1847 Valeur faciale 1 penny et 2 pence Pays Île Maurice Description reine Victoria …   Wikipédia en Français

  • post office — ˈpost ˌoffice noun [countable] 1. a place where you can buy stamps, send parcels etc: • Customers have complained about the length of time spent queuing at their local post office. 2. the Post Office the national organization in several countries …   Financial and business terms

  • post office — post offices 1) N SING: usu the N The Post Office is the national organization that is responsible for postal services. The Post Office has confirmed that up to fifteen thousand jobs could be lost in sorting offices over the next five years. 2) N …   English dictionary

  • post office — 1650s, public department in charge of letter carrying, from POST (Cf. post) (3) + OFFICE (Cf. office). Meaning building where postal business is carried on is from 1650s. In slang or euphemistic sense of sexual game it refers to a parlor game… …   Etymology dictionary

  • post office — post .office n 1.) a place where you can buy stamps, send letters and packages etc 2.) the Post Office the national organization which is responsible for collecting and delivering letters …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • post office — (PO) The basic organizational unit of the USPS. Generally, each post office has primary responsibility for collection, delivery, and retail operations in a specific geographic area. Each year, these units are categorized by revenue and mail… …   Glossary of postal terms

  • Post office — Post of fice, n. See under 4th {Post}. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • post office — post office, adj. 1. an office or station of a government postal system at which mail is received and sorted, from which it is dispatched and distributed, and at which stamps are sold or other services rendered. 2. (often cap.) the department of… …   Universalium

  • post office — n. 1. the governmental department in charge of the mails 2. an office or building where mail is sorted for distribution, postage stamps are sold, etc. ☆ 3. a kissing game for young people in which one pretending to be postman gives out kisses… …   English World dictionary

  • post office — post ,office noun count * a place where you can buy stamps, mail letters and packages, and receive mail …   Usage of the words and phrases in modern English

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”