snail mail
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snail mail
- /ˈsneɪl ˌmeɪl/ UK, US
Where it comes from
A retronym emphasizing postal mail's slowness compared to email. The phrase itself predates the invention of email, attested since in print as early as 1968, in an Advertising Council advertisement supporting the U.S. Post Office: "Help Stamp Out Snail Mail: Use ZIP Code." (High Fidelity 18:11 [November 1968], 40.)
noun snail-mail · snailmail
-
Mail (physical material) sent in the post, especially as compared with email.
I came home to a mailbox stuffed with snail mail.
Similar: smail
-
Mail (postal service), especially as compared with email.
The official notice will be sent via both email and snail mail owing to legal requirements.
Similar: smail
Translations
Every language
noun physical postal mail
| Español | correo postal, correo ordinario |
|---|---|
| Português | correio lesma |
| Français | courrier papier, courrier traditionnel |
| Deutsch | Schneckenpost, Snailmail f Snail-Mail |
| Italiano | posta cartacea |
| Русский | обычная по́чта obyčnaja póčta |
Talk about this word "snail mail." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/snail%20mail. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. snail mail. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/snail%20mail "snail mail." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/snail%20mail.Cite this
@misc{snail_mail_2026,
title = {snail mail},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/snail%20mail},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
