mail-order buying
- noun
- /meɪlˈɔrdər ˈbaɪɪŋ/
- I enjoy mail-order buying from my favorite catalog.
Examples
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With the rise of the internet, mail-order buying has become more convenient than ever before.
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Before online shopping, many people relied on mail-order buying for items not available locally.
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The company specializes in mail-order buying and delivers products to customers nationwide.
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Have you tried mail-order buying for clothes?
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Many people prefer mail-order buying because it allows them to shop from the comfort of their homes.
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He enjoys mail-order buying for unique items that are not available in local stores.
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With mail-order buying, you can easily order products online and have them delivered right to your door.
Synonyms
Buying things from a catalog and having them sent to your home
Buying goods or services on the internet
Buying goods from a catalog sent by mail to your home
Antonyms
How Remote
Surface Forms
Morphology
mail-order + buy
The meaning is directly compositional: 'mail-order' (ordering via the postal system or remote catalog/online service) combined with 'buying' (purchasing) yields purchasing goods delivered by mail. This is a common, cross-linguistically transparent compound pattern that a B1 learner who knows the constituents can readily infer.
Etymology
Mail-order buying comes from the old practice of sending a product catalog through the mail; customers would choose an item, fill out an order, and send it by post to the seller. That's why it means 'buying goods that are sent to you rather than bought in a shop'.