snail mail

noun
1.
physical delivery of mail, as contrasted with e-mail.
2.
the letters, packages, etc. delivered this way.
Also called s-mail.
Origin
1980-85
British Dictionary definitions for snail-mail

snail mail

noun
1.
the conventional postal system, as opposed to electronic mail
verb
2.
(transitive) to send by the conventional postal system, rather than by electronic mail
Word Origin
C20: so named because of the relative slowness of the conventional postal system
snail-mail in Culture

snail mail definition


A term used to denote mail sent via the traditional postal service, usually to contrast that process to e-mail.

Slang definitions & phrases for snail-mail

snail mail

noun phrase

Mail sent through regular postal service: Acrobat has the potential to pay for itself rather quickly by eliminating the need to send documents by courier or even regular mail (snail mail, as it is charmingly called by computer aficionados)

[1980s+ Computer; referring to the slowness of the snail]


Idioms and Phrases with snail-mail

snail mail

Ordinary postal service, as opposed to electronic communications. For example, He hasn't taken to his computer so he's still using snail mail. This slangy idiom, alluding to the alleged slowness of the snail, caught on at least partly for its rhyme. [ 1980s ]