postbox

IPA/ˈpəʊstbɒks/
IPA/ˈpəʊstbɑːks/

postbox — noun

  • postboxsingular
  • postboxesplural

1. A tall, usually red metal container placed in streets or other public places whe

1.名詞A2
釋義

A tall, usually red metal container placed in streets or other public places where people drop off their stamped letters and small parcels for the postal service to collect and deliver.

例句

Nikhil dropped his birthday card into the red postbox on the corner of High Street.

collocation: drop [mail] into a postbox

Lien noticed the collection time on the postbox was half past four, so she hurried to catch it.

collocation: collection time on a postbox

同義詞
  • letterbox

    In British English 'letterbox' more commonly refers to the slot in a front door where mail is delivered, not the street collection box; using 'letterbox' for 'postbox' may cause confusion.

  • mailbox

    Standard American term for the same concept; in British English 'mailbox' usually refers to a private home delivery box rather than a public collection point.

  • pillar box

    A specific type of freestanding postbox, traditionally cylindrical and painted red; 'pillar box' is more specific and less common in everyday use.

用法筆記

This word is the standard term in British English; the equivalent in American English is 'mailbox' (for outgoing mail) or 'drop box'. A postbox is typically tall, freestanding, and painted red in the UK.

常見錯誤

❌I put the letter in the mailbox' (when writing British English).
✅I put the letter in the postbox.
💡In UK English, 'mailbox' usually means the private box where you receive mail at home; the public container for sending letters is called a 'postbox'.
❌The postbox on my desk is full.
✅The postbox on the corner is full.
💡A postbox is a large street-side container, not a small desktop object.