Pigeonhole

Part of speech: verb

Pronunciation: /ˈpɪdʒ(ɪ)nhəʊl/

Definitions

1. To assign or sort something into a small compartment or specific category ; to postpone or disregard an item or issue, often by setting it aside indefinitely
2. To put something away into a small section or label it under a particular heading ; to put aside a matter or request, typically to avoid dealing with it immediately
3. To categorize or file something into a designated small space or classification ; to shelve an idea or question, usually by ignoring or deferring it without resolution

Etymology: Pigeonholes were originally literal: the small open compartments in a dovecote where pigeons nested. The noun, formed from "pigeon" and "hole," was later applied to the rows of small compartments in writing desks and cabinets, where papers could be filed and kept apart. From that practice of putting things into separate slots came the verb, meaning to sort something into a category. The verb carries a sense that the noun does not: to place someone or something in a fixed category, often one that is too narrow. A person pigeonholed as "the quiet one" or a book pigeonholed as a children's story has been filed away in a single slot, with little room left for anything else. The image is of tidy storage, but the effect is usually limiting.

Synonyms: categorize, classify

Antonyms: ignore, neglect