mail

II. mail² S3 BrE AmE verb [transitive] especially American English
1. to send a letter or package to someone SYN post British English
mail something to somebody
The weekly newsletter is mailed to women all over the country.
2. to send a document to someone using a computer SYN email
mail something to somebody
Can you mail it to me as an attachment?
mail something ↔ out phrasal verb
to send letters, packages etc to a lot of people at the same time SYN send out:
The department has just mailed out 300,000 notices.

Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

verb
1. (especially NAmE) to send sth to sb using the postal system
• ~ sth (to sb/sth) Don't forget to mail that letter to your mother.
• ~ sb sth Don't forget to mail your mother that letter.

• ~ sb/sth The company intends to mail 50 000 households in the area.

2. (BrE) to send a message to sb by email
• ~ sb Please mail us at the following email address.
• ~ sth (to sb/sth) The virus mails itself forward to everyone in your address book.
• ~ sb sth Can you mail me that document you mentioned?
Verb forms:

Word Origin:
Middle English (in the sense ‘travelling bag’): from Old French male ‘wallet’, of West Germanic origin. The sense “by post” dates from the mid 17th cent.
Thesaurus:
mail verb T (especially AmE)
• Don't forget to mail that letter.
send • • forward • • send sth on • |BrE post • |formal, especially business dispatch •
mail/send/forward/send sth on/post/dispatch sth to sb
mail/send/forward/send on/post/dispatch a letter
mail/send/post a/an invitation/package/parcel/postcard/reply
British/American:
post / mail
Nouns
In BrE the official system used for sending and delivering letters, parcels/packages, etc. is usually called the post. In NAmE it is usually called the mail: ▪ I’ll put an application form in the post/mail for you today. ◊ ▪ Send your fee by post/mail to this address. Mail is sometimes used in BrE in such expressions as ▪ the Royal Mail. Post occurs in NAmE in such expressions as ▪ the US Postal Service.
In BrE post is also used to mean the letters, parcels/packages, etc. that are delivered to you. Mail is the usual word in NAmE and is sometimes also used in BrE: ▪ Was there any post/mail this morning? ◊ ▪ I sat down to open my post/mail. Verbs
Compare: ▪ I’ll post the letter when I go out. (BrE) and ▪ I’ll mail the letter when I go out. (NAmE)Compounds
Note these words: postman (BrE), mailman/mail carrier (both NAmE); postbox (BrE), mailbox (NAmE) Some compounds are used in both BrE and NAmE: post office, postcard, mail order.
Example Bank:
• Mailing out information can be very expensive.
• The brochures are mailed direct to members.

• Don't forget to mail that letter.

Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary

Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary - 4th Edition

mail / meɪl / verb [ T ] mainly US ( mainly UK post )

to send a letter or parcel or to email something:

She mailed it last week but it still hasn't arrived.

[ + two objects ] I promised to mail him the article/mail the article to him.

Collins Advanced Learner’s English Dictionary

mail

[me͟ɪl]

mails, mailing, mailed
1) N-SING: the N, also by N The mail is the public service or system by which letters and parcels are collected and delivered.
  Your check is in the mail...
  People had to renew their motor vehicle registrations through the mail...
  The firm has offices in several large cities, but does most of its business by mail.
  Syn:
  post
2) N-UNCOUNT: also the N You can refer to letters and parcels that are delivered to you as mail.
  There was no mail except the usual junk addressed to the occupier...
  Nora looked through the mail.
  Syn:
  post
3) VERB If you mail a letter or parcel to someone, you send it to them by putting it in a post box or taking it to a post office. [mainly AM]
  [V n to n] Last year, he mailed the documents to French journalists...
  [V n n] He mailed me the contract...
  [V n with n] The Government has already mailed some 18 million households with details of the public offer. [Also V n](in BRIT, usually use post)
4) VERB To mail a message to someone means to send it to them by means of electronic mail or a computer network.
  [be V-ed prep] ...if a report must be electronically mailed to an office by 9 am the next day. [Also V n]
N-UNCOUNT
Mail is also a noun. If you have any problems then send me some mail.
5) → See also mailing, chain mail, e-mail, electronic mail, hate mail, junk mail, surface mail
  Phrasal Verbs:
  - mail out

Merriam-Webster's Advanced Learner's Dictionary

²mail verb mails; mailed; mail·ing [+ obj] chiefly US : to send (something, such as a letter or package) by mail
• Have you mailed (out) the invitations yet? [=(chiefly Brit) have you posted the invitations yet?]
• She mailed me a copy of her manuscript. = She mailed a copy of her manuscript to me.