Post-office Box Definition & Meaning

American

British

Etymology

Examples

post office box American [pohst-aw-fis boks, of-is] / ˈpoʊstˌɔ fɪs ˌbɒks, ˌɒf ɪs / Also P.O. box or post-office box

noun

1. a small, locked compartment, usually in a post office, into which the mail of a box renter is put to be called for. POB, P.O.B.

post office box British

noun

1. a private numbered place in a post office, in which letters received are kept until called for

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of post office box

An Americanism dating back to 1825–35

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Residents will keep their post office box numbers and continue to pick up mail at the post office.

From Los Angeles Times

Voters can choose to have a vote-by-mail ballot sent to the residence of a family member or friend, a post office box, or your place of employment by completing a replacement ballot request.

From Los Angeles Times

If a dog issue is not resolved, owners can be required to rent a Post Office box to receive mail.

From Los Angeles Times

Voting by mail also presents a challenge because many reservation residents do not receive mail service at their home addresses and may use a shared post office box.

From Salon

In a recent case, a woman in Santa Barbara County who was fed up with her mail being stolen from her post office box decided to bait the thieves and mailed herself a package containing an AirTag.

From Los Angeles Times

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.