letters, packages, etc., that are sent or delivered by means of the postal system: Storms delayed delivery of the mail.
2.
a single collection of such letters, packages, etc., as sent or delivered: to open one's mail; to find a bill in the mail; The mail for England was put on the noon plane.
3.
Also, mails.the system, usually operated or supervised by the national government, for sending or delivering letters, packages, etc.; postal system: to buy clothes by mail.
4.
a train, boat, etc., as a carrier of postal matter.
5.
electronic mail; e-mail.
–adjective
6.
of or pertaining to mail.
–verb (used with object)
7.
to send by mail; place in a post office or mailbox for transmission.
8.
to transmit by electronic mail.
—Idiom
9.
copy the mail, Citizens Band RadioSlang. to monitor or listen to a CB transmission.
[Origin: 1175–1225; ME male (n.) < OF malle < Gmc; cf. OHG mal(a)ha satchel, bag]
any flexible armor or covering, as one having a protective exterior of scales or small plates.
3.
Textiles. an oval piece of metal pierced with a hole through which the warp ends are threaded, serving as an eyelet on a heddle or esp. on the harness cords of a Jacquard loom.
–verb (used with object)
4.
to clothe or arm with mail.
[Origin: 1250–1300; ME maille one of the rings of which armor was composed < OF < L macula spot, one of the interstices in a net; cf. macula]
"post, letters," c.1205, "a traveling bag," from O.Fr. male "wallet, bag," from Frank. *malha, from P.Gmc. *malho- (cf. O.H.G. malaha "wallet, bag," M.Du. male "bag"), from PIE *molko- "skin, bag." Sense extension to "letters and parcels" (18c.) is via "bag full of letter" (1654) or "person or vehicle who carries postal matter" (1654). In 19c. England, mail was letters going abroad, while home dispatches were post. Sense of "personal batch of letters" is from 1844, originally Amer.Eng. Mailman is from 1881; mail-order is from 1875. The verb is 1828, Amer.Eng. E-mail is from 1982, shortened from electronic mail (1977); this led to the contemptuous application of snail mail (1983) to the old system.
"metal ring armor," c.1320, from O.Fr. maille "link of mail, mesh of net," from L. macula "mesh in a net," originally "spot, blemish," on notion that the gaps in a net or mesh looked like spots.
the bags of letters and packages that are transported by the postal service
2.
the system whereby messages are transmitted via the post office; "the mail handles billions of items every day"; "he works for the United States mail service"; "in England they call mail 'the post'"
3.
a conveyance that transports the letters and packages that are conveyed by the postal system
4.
any particular collection of letters or packages that is delivered; "your mail is on the table"; "is there any post for me?"; "she was opening her post"
5.
(Middle Ages) flexible armor made of interlinked metal rings [syn: chain mail]
verb
1.
send via the postal service; "I'll mail you the check tomorrow"
2.
cause to be directed or transmitted to another place; "send me your latest results"; "I'll mail you the paper when it's written"
Chi*cane"\, n. [F., prob. earlier meaning a dispute, orig. in the game of mall (F. mail), fr. LGr. ? the game of mall, fr Pers chaug[=a]n club or bat; or possibly ultimated fr. L. ciccus a trible.] The use of artful subterfuge, designed to draw away attention from the merits of a case or question; -- specifically applied to legal proceedings; trickery; chicanery; caviling; sophistry. --Prior. To shuffle from them by chicane. --Burke. To cut short this chicane, I propound it fairly to your own conscience. --Berkeley.
Im*mac"u*late\, a. [L. immaculatus; pref. im- not + maculatus, p. p. of maculare to spot, stane, fr. macula spot. See Mail armor.] Without stain or blemish; spotless; undefiled; clear; pure. Were but my soul as pure From other guilt as that, Heaven did not hold One more immaculate. --Denham. Thou sheer, immaculate and silver fountain. --Shak. Immaculate conception (R. C. Ch.), the doctrine that the Virgin Mary was conceived without original sin. -- Im*mac"u*late*ly, adv. -- Im*mac"u*late*ness, n.
Mack`er*el\, n. [OF. maquerel, F. maquereau (LL. macarellus), prob. for maclereau, fr. L. macula a spot, in allusion to the markings on the fish. See Mail armor.] (Zo["o]l.) Any species of the genus Scomber, and of several related genera. They are finely formed and very active oceanic fishes. Most of them are highly prized for food. Note: The common mackerel (Scomber scombrus), which inhabits both sides of the North Atlantic, is one of the most important food fishes. It is mottled with green and blue. The Spanish mackerel (Scomberomorus maculatus), of the American coast, is covered with bright yellow circular spots. Bull mackerel, Chub mackerel. (Zo["o]l.) See under Chub. Frigate mackerel. See under Frigate. Horse mackerel . See under Horse. Mackerel bird (Zo["o]l.), the wryneck; -- so called because it arrives in England at the time when mackerel are in season. Mackerel cock (Zo["o]l.), the Manx shearwater; -- so called because it precedes the appearance of the mackerel on the east coast of Ireland. Mackerel guide. (Zo["o]l.) See Garfish (a) . Mackerel gull (Zo["o]l.) any one of several species of gull which feed upon or follow mackerel, as the kittiwake. Mackerel midge (Zo["o]l.), a very small oceanic gadoid fish of the North Atlantic. It is about an inch and a half long and has four barbels on the upper jaw. It is now considered the young of the genus Onos, or Motella. Mackerel plow, an instrument for creasing the sides of lean mackerel to improve their appearance. --Knight. Mackerel shark (Zo["o]l.), the porbeagle. Mackerel sky, or Mackerel-back sky, a sky flecked with small white clouds; a cirro-cumulus. See Cloud. Mackerel sky and mare's-tails Make tall ships carry low sails. --Old Rhyme.
Mac"u*la\, n.; pl. Macul[ae]. [L., spot, stain, blot. See Mail armor, and cf. Mackle, Macule.]1. A spot, as on the skin, or on the surface of the sun or of some other luminous orb. 2. (Zo["o]l.) A rather large spot or blotch of color.
Mail\, n. [F. maille, OF. also maaille, LL. medalia. See Medal.]1. A small piece of money; especially, an English silver half-penny of the time of Henry V. [Obs.] [Written also maile, and maille.] 2. Rent; tribute. [Obs., except in certain compounds and phrases, as blackmail, mails and duties, etc.] Mail and duties (Scots Law), the rents of an estate, in whatever form paid.
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