/ pəʊst; NAmE poʊst/ noun , verb
■ noun
LETTERS
1.
( BrE ) (also mail NAmE , BrE ) [ U ] the official system used for sending and delivering letters, packages, etc. :
I'll send the original to you by post .
I'll put the information in the post to you tomorrow.
My application got lost in the post .
2.
( BrE ) (also mail NAmE , BrE ) [ U ] letters, packages, etc. that are sent and delivered :
There was a lot of post this morning.
Have you opened your post yet?
3.
( BrE ) [ U , sing. ] an occasion during the day when letters, etc. are collected or delivered :
to catch / miss the post
The parcel came in this morning's post.
Payment should be sent by return of post (= immediately) .
JOB
4.
[ C ] a job, especially an important one in a large organization
SYN position :
an academic / government post
to take up a post
to resign (from) a post
We will be creating 15 new posts next year.
The company has been unable to fill the post .
He has held the post for three years.
➡ note at job
FOR SOLDIER / GUARD
5.
[ C ] the place where sb, especially a soldier, does their job :
a police / customs / military post
an observation post
The guards were ordered not to leave their posts.
—see also the last post , staging post , trading post
WOOD / METAL
6.
[ C ] (often in compounds) a piece of wood or metal that is set in the ground in a vertical position, especially to support sth or to mark a position :
corner posts (= that mark the corners of a sports field)
—see also bedpost , gatepost , lamp post , signpost
END OF RACE
7.
the post [ sing. ] the place where a race finishes, especially in horse racing
—see also first-past-the-post , winning post
FOOTBALL
8.
[ C , usually sing. ] = goalpost :
The ball hit the post and bounced in.
•
IDIOMS
see deaf , pillar
■ verb
LETTERS
1.
( BrE ) ( NAmE mail ) post sth (off) (to sb) | post sb sth to send a letter, etc. to sb by post / mail :
[ vn ]
Have you posted off your order yet?
[ vn , vnn ]
Is it OK if I post the cheque to you next week?
Is it OK if I post you the cheque next week?
—compare mail
2.
[ vn ] ( BrE ) ( NAmE mail ) to put a letter, etc. into a postbox :
Could you post this letter for me?
STH THROUGH HOLE
3.
[ vn ] to put sth through a hole into a container :
Let yourself out and post the keys through the letter box.
SB FOR JOB
4.
[ vn ] [ usually passive ] to send sb to a place for a period of time as part of their job :
She's been posted to Washington for two years.
Most of our employees get posted abroad at some stage.
SOLDIER / GUARD
5.
[ vn + adv. / prep. ] to put sb, especially a soldier, in a particular place so that they can guard a building or area :
Guards have been posted along the border.
PUBLIC NOTICE
6.
[ vn ] [ often passive ] to put a notice, etc. in a public place so that people can see it
SYN display :
A copy of the letter was posted on the noticeboard.
The results will be posted on the Internet.
GIVE INFORMATION
7.
( especially NAmE ) to announce sth publicly or officially, especially financial information or a warning :
[ vn ]
The company posted a $1.1 billion loss.
A snow warning was posted for Ohio.
[ vn - adj ]
The aircraft and its crew were posted missing .
PAY MONEY TO COURT
8.
[ vn ] post bail / (a) bond ( especially NAmE ) to pay money to a court so that a person accused of a crime can go free until their trial :
She was released after posting $100 cash bond and her driver's license.
•
IDIOMS
- keep sb posted (about / on sth)
••
BRITISH / AMERICAN
post / mail
Nouns
In BrE the official system used for sending and delivering letters, parcels / packages, etc. is usually called the post . In NAmE it is usually called the mail :
I'll put an application form in the post / mail for you today.
•
Send your fee by post / mail to this address.
Mail is sometimes used in BrE in such expressions as
the Royal Mail.
Post occurs in NAmE in such expressions as
the US Postal Service.
In BrE post is also used to mean the letters, parcels /packages, etc. that are delivered to you. Mail is the usual word in NAmE and is sometimes also used in BrE :
Was there any post / mail this morning?
•
I sat down to open my post / mail.
Verbs
Compare:
I'll post the letter when I go out.
( BrE ) and
I'll mail the letter when I go out.
( NAmE )
Compounds
Note these words: postman ( BrE ), mailman / mail carrier (both NAmE ); postbox BrE , mailbox NAmE. Some compounds are used in both BrE and NAmE : post office , postcard , mail order .
Electronic
Mail , not post , is always used in connection with electronic messages: email , voicemail .
••
WORD ORIGIN
noun senses 6 to 8 and verb senses 6 to 7 Old English , from Latin postis doorpost, later rod, beam, probably reinforced in Middle English by Old French post pillar, beam and Middle Dutch , Middle Low German post doorpost.
noun senses 1 to 3 and verb senses 1 to 3 keep sb posted (about / on sth). early 16th cent. (referring to couriers who carried mail on horseback between fixed stages): from French poste , from Italian posta , from a contraction of Latin posita , feminine past participle of ponere to place.
noun senses 4 to 5 and verb senses 4 to 5 mid 16th cent.: from French poste , from Italian posto , from a contraction of popular Latin positum , neuter past participle of ponere to place.