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Glite Dictionary
post-horse

post-horse

9.9
A horse kept at an inn for hire to travelers or by mail carriers
  • noun
  • Archaic
translation icon : caballo de posta
  • The tired post-horse was quickly exchanged for a fresh one at the inn.

Examples

  • In eighteenth-century England, travelers often changed post-horses at every stage along the mail route.

  • The inn had a post-horse ready for travelers.

  • He relied on a sturdy post-horse to carry his message swiftly across the countryside.

  • Many post-horses were kept at the stable.

  • In eighteenth-century England, travelers often changed post-horses at every stage along the mail route.

  • The tired post-horse was quickly exchanged for a fresh one at the inn.

  • He relied on a sturdy post-horse to carry his message swiftly across the countryside.

Synonyms

poster
vspost-horse
  • Archaic
1 9.9

A horse kept at an inn for mail delivery or for travelers to hire

has identical meaning but uses a hyphenated modern written form
post horse
vspost-horse
  • Archaic
9.9

A horse kept at an inn for travelers or mail carriers to ride

has the same meaning but is written as two separate words

Surface Forms

post-horse singular
post-horses plural

Morphology

post-horse = post + horse (semi-transparent) = post + horse

The parts 'post' and 'horse' are compositional, but 'post' in this sense (post house/station) is somewhat archaic/specialized and may be unfamiliar to learners.

Etymology

Post-horse comes from post, which means a 'station' where fresh horses were kept for the mail and for travelers. A post-horse was a horse you could hire there to carry you or messages quickly.