English Online Dictionary. What means mail? What does mail mean?
English
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /meɪl/, enPR: māl
- Rhymes: -eɪl
- Homophone: male
Etymology 1
From Middle English male, from Anglo-Norman male, Old French male (“bag, wallet”), from Frankish *malha (“bag”), from Proto-Germanic *malhō (“bag, pouch”), from Proto-Indo-European *molko- (“leather pouch”). Compare Dutch maal.
Noun
mail (countable and uncountable, plural mails)
- (now regional) A bag or wallet. [from 13thc.]
- A bag containing letters to be delivered by post.
- The material conveyed by the postal service. [from 17thc.]
- 1823, The stranger in Liverpool; or, An historical and descriptive view of the town of Liverpool and its environs, Seventh Edition, T. Kaye, page 96,
- The following are the hours at which the letter-box of this office is closed for making up the several mails, and the hours at which each mail is despatched: ¶ […]
- 1887, John Houston Merrill (editor), The American and English Encyclopædia of Law, Volume I, Edward Thompson, p.121,
- If he retains the account, and permits several mails to pass without objecting to it, he will be held to have admitted its correctness.
- 1823, The stranger in Liverpool; or, An historical and descriptive view of the town of Liverpool and its environs, Seventh Edition, T. Kaye, page 96,
- (dated) A stagecoach, train or ship that delivers such post.
- The postal service or system in general. [from 17thc.]
- Synonym: (UK, Ireland) post
- (chiefly US, uncountable) The letters, parcels, etc. delivered to a particular address or person. [from 19thc.]
- (uncountable) Electronic mail, e-mail: a computer network–based service for sending, storing, and forwarding electronic messages. [from 20thc.]
- A trunk, box, or bag, in which clothing, etc., may be carried.
Usage notes
In the United States, the mails (with the and in the plural) can mean "the postal system".
Derived terms
Descendants
- → Japanese: メール
Translations
Verb
mail (third-person singular simple present mails, present participle mailing, simple past and past participle mailed)
- (ditransitive) To send (a letter, parcel, etc.) through the mail.
- (ditransitive) To send by electronic mail.
- Please mail me the spreadsheet by the end of the day.
- (transitive) To contact (a person) by electronic mail.
- I need to mail my tutor about the deadline.
Synonyms
- (send through the mail): post
Derived terms
Descendants
- → Thai: เมล์ (mee)
Translations
Etymology 2
From Middle English mayle (“mail armor”), borrowed from Old French maille (“loop, stitch”), from Vulgar Latin *macla, from Latin macula (“blemish, mesh”), probably from Proto-Indo-European *smh₁-tleh₂, from *smeh₁- (“smear, rub”).
Alternative forms
- maille
Noun
mail (usually uncountable, plural mails)
- (uncountable) Armour consisting of metal rings or plates linked together.
- (nautical) A contrivance of interlinked rings, for rubbing off the loose hemp on lines and white cordage.
- Any hard protective covering of an animal, as the scales and plates of reptiles, shell of a lobster, etc.
- (obsolete, rare) A spot on a bird's feather; by extension, a spotted feather.
Derived terms
Related terms
- mailed
Translations
Verb
mail (third-person singular simple present mails, present participle mailing, simple past and past participle mailed)
- (transitive) To arm with mail.
- (transitive) To pinion.
Etymology 3
From Middle English mal, male from Old English māl (“speech, contract, agreement”) from Old Norse mál (“agreement, speech, lawsuit”). Akin to Old English mǣl (“speech”). Related to Old English mǣlan (mell), maþelian (“to speak out, declare”). From *maþlą (“meeting-place”), possibly from Proto-Indo-European *meh₂d- (“to encounter, come”), if so related to meet, and moot.
Alternative forms
- maile, maill, maille
Noun
mail (plural mails)
- (historical) An old French coin worth half a denier.
- (chiefly Scotland) A monetary payment or tribute.
- (chiefly Scotland) Rent.
- (chiefly Scotland) Tax.
Derived terms
Anagrams
- Alim, Liam, Lima, Mali, Mila, alim, lima, mali
Dalmatian
Etymology
From Latin milium.
Noun
mail m
- millet
- birdseed
Danish
Etymology
Borrowed from English email.
Noun
Declension
Dutch
Pronunciation
- Rhymes: -eːl
Verb
- inflection of mailen:
- first-person singular present indicative
- imperative
Estonian
Noun
- adessive plural of maa
Fiji Hindi
Etymology
Borrowed from English mile (“imperial measure of distance”).
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /maɪl/
Noun
- mile
References
- Fiji Hindi Dictionary
French
Etymology 1
Inherited from Latin malleus (“hammer”).
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /maj/
Noun
mail m (plural mails)
- maul
- (sports, historical) pall mall mallet
- (by extension) pall mall
- mall, promenade
- (Quebec) mall, shopping mall
Derived terms
- maillet
Related terms
- malléable
Etymology 2
Borrowed from English email.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /mɛl/, /mɛjl/
Noun
mail m (plural mails)
- (informal) email
- Synonyms: courriel, mél
Further reading
- “mail”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.
Anagrams
- lima
German
Pronunciation
Verb
- singular imperative of mailen
- (colloquial) first-person singular present of mailen
Gothic
Romanization
- Romanization of 𐌼𐌰𐌹𐌻
Italian
Etymology
Borrowed from English mail.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ˈmɛjl/, /ˈmejl/
- Rhymes: -ɛjl, -ejl
Noun
mail f (invariable)
- (colloquial) email
Derived terms
- mail spazzatura (“spam mail”)
References
Further reading
- mail in Treccani.it – Vocabolario Treccani on line, Istituto dell'Enciclopedia Italiana
Anagrams
- Mali, almi, lima, mali, mila
Middle English
Noun
- Alternative form of mayle
Polish
Etymology
Unadapted borrowing from English mail.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /mɛjl/
- Rhymes: -ɛjl
- Syllabification: mail
- Homophone: mejl
Noun
mail m inan
- Alternative spelling of mejl
Declension
Derived terms
Related terms
Further reading
- mail in Wielki słownik języka polskiego, Instytut Języka Polskiego PAN
- mail in Polish dictionaries at PWN
Romansch
Alternative forms
- meil (Sursilvan, Surmiran)
- mel (Sutsilvan)
Etymology
From Late Latin mēlum, from Latin mālum. Compare Friulian mêl, Romanian măr.
Noun
mail m (plural mails)
- (Rumantsch Grischun, Vallader) apple
Synonyms
- (Puter) pom
Spanish
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ˈmeil/ [ˈmei̯l]
- Rhymes: -eil
Noun
mail m (plural mailes)
- email
- Synonyms: correo, correo electrónico, email
Swedish
Noun
mail n
- Alternative spelling of mejl
Declension
Anagrams
- Liam, Lima, Mali, mila
Tok Pisin
Etymology
From English mile.
Noun
- mile