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Glite Dictionary
parcel post

parcel post

1 3.5
A mail service for sending packages instead of letters
  • noun
  • /ˈpɑrsəl poʊst/
translation icon : correo de paquetes
  • I decided to send the birthday gift using parcel post to ensure it arrives safely.

Examples

  • Please have this package sent by parcel post so it can reach her in a few days.

  • Take this with you, and send it parcel post.

    The Human Comedy (1943)

  • "Did G. Hagenbeck ship the elephant to Nelly Billiard by parcel post?

    Fiction book (1990)

  • An unlined kimono arrived from Saneko's family by parcel post, and she immediately changed into it, making her a bit late in coming down to Noriko's room for dinner.

    Fiction book (1996)

  • He usually prefers parcel post for shipping larger items instead of regular mail.

Synonyms

mail
vsparcel post
659 1.0

The service that sends and delivers letters and packages

is the part used to send larger items, not ordinary letters
post
vsparcel post
  • UK
204 1.0

Letters and packages that are delivered to people

is the section for larger items within that broader delivery system
postal service
vsparcel post
10 1.4

A system that sends and delivers letters and packages

is the specific part handling larger items rather than the whole organization
in the post
vsparcel post
  • UK
5 1.0

Sent or received by mail

is used to say an item was sent through the delivery system
mail service
vsparcel post
1 1.0

An official system that sends letters and packages between places, often run by the government

focuses only on sending larger items rather than regular letters

How Personal

process-server
  • Specialized
4 7.7
courier
94 3.8
parcel post
1 3.5

Surface Forms

parcel post singular
parcel posts plural

Morphology

parcel + post

The meaning 'a postal service for sending packages' is directly and transparently derived from combining 'parcel' (a package) with 'post' (mail/postal service); the compound follows a regular noun+noun composition pattern in English. This concept is cross-linguistically common (many languages have a specific service for parcels), so a B1 learner who knows both constituents would readily infer the MWE's meaning.

Etymology

Parcel post comes from the words parcel, meaning a small package, and post, meaning the mail service. When post offices began to carry packages as well as letters, they set up a special service called parcel post, so today the phrase means the mail system for sending packages.