letter boxes

Meanings

1. 1nounpluralBritish

   Plural of letter box: openings or containers where letters are delivered or posted.

   Grammar: Plural countable noun; the singular is letter box.

   Patterns

   • push something through the letter box

   The postman moved down the street, filling the letter boxes.

   Red letter boxes stand on many British street corners.

   The new flats have letter boxes in the entrance hall.

2. 2nounpluraltechnical

   Plural of letter box in film and video: black bars above and below a screen image that is wider than the screen.

   Grammar: Used about the shape of a picture, often as letterbox.

   Patterns

   • watch something in letter boxes

   The old television showed the wide film in letter boxes.

   Some viewers dislike the black letter boxes at the top and bottom.

   The studio removed the letter boxes from the new release.

Word forms

Common combinations

red letter boxes

Red letter boxes are a classic sight in London.

post letter boxes

They emptied the post letter boxes at dawn.

row of letter boxes

A row of letter boxes lined the hallway.

rusty letter boxes

The rusty letter boxes needed replacing.

locked letter boxes

Locked letter boxes protect residents' mail.

Synonyms and how they differ

mailboxes

Mailboxes is the American equivalent and the natural word in the United States.

postboxes

Postboxes usually means the public boxes where you post letters, while letter boxes can also be the slot in a door.

pillar boxes

Pillar boxes are the freestanding red British boxes, a specific kind of letter box.

Word family

letter box noun

the singular form

letterbox verb

to show a wide film with black bars on a smaller screen

letter noun

a written message sent by post

Commonly confused: letter boxes or mailbox?

Practice

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Write a sentence using “letter boxes”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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