PIGEONHOLE

I. noun Date: 1577 a hole or small recess for pigeons to nest, a small open compartment (as in a desk or cabinet) for keeping letters or documents, a neat category which usually fails to reflect actual complexities, II. transitive verb Date: 1840 1. to place in or as if in the ~ of a desk, to lay aside ; shelve , to assign to an often restrictive category ; classify , ~r noun