Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- adjective Of or relating to a postal system or mail service.
- idiom Slang (go postal) To become extremely angry or deranged, especially in an outburst of violence.
from The Century Dictionary.
- Relating to the post or mails; belonging or pertaining to a mail service: as, postal arrangements; postal regulations; postal service.
- Called
post-cards in the United Kingdom. - noun A postal card or postal order.
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- adjective Belonging to the post office or mail service
- adjective a card used for transmission of messages through the mails, at a lower rate of postage than a sealed letter; also called
postcard . Such cards are sold by the government with postage already paid, or by private vendors without a postage stamp. The message is written on one side of the card, and the address on the other. - adjective See Money order, under
Money . - adjective an order payable to bearer, for a sum of money (in the United States less than five dollars under existing law), issued from one post office and payable at another specified office.
- adjective a union for postal purposes entered into by the most important powers, or governments, which have agreed to transport mail matter through their several territories at a stipulated rate.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- adjective Relating to the
collection ,sorting anddelivery ofmail .
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- adjective of or relating to the system for delivering mail
Etymologies
Sorry, no etymologies found.
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Examples
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But he's looking to reduce the mail agency's real estate portfolio by focusing more on expanding about 100,000 "access points" where people can obtain postal goods and services -- locations ranging from Office Depots to pharmacies with stamp machines.
Who is the new postmaster general? Ed O 2010
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Strong mail volume this month might add enough revenue to justify making the $5.5 billion payment to the government, but it would still leave little in postal coffers, said sources familiar with the process but not authorized to speak on the record.
Postal Service close to going broke Ed O'Keefe 2010
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Strong mail volume this month might add enough revenue to justify making the $5.5 billion payment to the government, but it would still leave little in postal coffers, said sources familiar with the process but not authorized to speak on the record.
Postal Service close to going broke Ed O'Keefe 2010
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But he's looking to reduce the mail agency's real estate portfolio by focusing more on expanding about 100,000 "access points" where people can obtain postal goods and services -- locations ranging from Office Depots to pharmacies with stamp machines.
The Federal Eye: Meet the new postmaster general Ed O'Keefe 2010
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Strong mail volume this month might add enough revenue to justify making the $5.5 billion payment to the government, but it would still leave little in postal coffers, said sources familiar with the process but not authorized to speak on the record.
Postal Service close to going broke Ed O'Keefe 2010
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Many in postal management are driven only by securing higher pay and bonuses.
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Strong mail volume this month might add enough revenue to justify making the $5.5 billion payment to the government, but it would still leave little in postal coffers, said sources familiar with the process but not authorized to speak on the record.
Postal Service close to going broke Ed O'Keefe 2010
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Strong mail volume this month might add enough revenue to justify making the $5.5 billion payment to the government, but it would still leave little in postal coffers, said sources familiar with the process but not authorized to speak on the record.
Postal Service close to going broke Ed O'Keefe 2010
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With the increase in postal rates no one is happy.
John Donahoe’s Plan to Save eBay: Better Search - Bits Blog - NYTimes.com 2008
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Well that is due to the huge rise in postal voting.
Archive 2008-01-01 Not a sheep 2008
skipvia commented on the word postal
In the vernacular, to lose control and commit an irrational, usually violent act.
December 21, 2007
bilby commented on the word postal
I'd never heard 'go postal' until this, yesterday:
"Stevenage goal: Would you Adam it? Michael Bostwick stings a beauty in off the far post from range to double Stevenage's lead... and Broadhall Way goes absolutely postal."
- Sam Lyon, FA Cup as it happened, BBC website, 8 Jan 2011.
In this context there was no connotation of violence, simply of wild celebration.
Does anybody know the origin of the expression?
January 9, 2011
yarb commented on the word postal
I believe it's that (U.S.) post offices were famous for driving their employees and customers to rage / insanity. I'm surprised you'd not heard it before - although I'm not sure I've heard it in that sense of pure excitement.
Good spot!
January 9, 2011
bilby commented on the word postal
Thanks yarb, that makes sense. I had been wondering what mild-mannered posties might have done to become the epitome of fury/exuberance.
January 9, 2011