Letterboxes

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A device intended for the reception of postal deliveries, usually located outside homes or buildings
2. A collection unit positioned to gather incoming mail, frequently seen in both private and communal settings
3. A container fixed near a home or building to receive mail ; a shared unit designed to hold mail for several people in one location

Etymology: Letterboxes is the plural of letterbox, a compound of "letter" and "box," so the history is plain. The sense "letter" here is the one for a written message sent by post, not the alphabetic character, so a letterbox was originally a box for letters. The plural simply applies that container to several homes or buildings at once, which is why you see rows of them along a street.

Synonyms: mailboxes, postboxes