post

¹

[ pohst ]

noun

1. a strong piece of timber, metal, or the like, set upright as a support, a point of attachment, a place for displaying notices, etc.

   Synonyms: pole, pile, pillar, column

2. Furniture. one of the principal uprights of a piece of furniture, as one supporting a chair back or forming one corner of a chest of drawers. Compare stump ( def 11 ).
3. Papermaking. a stack of 144 sheets of handmolded paper, interleaved with felt.
4. Horse Racing. a pole on a racetrack indicating the point where a race begins or ends:

   the starting post.

5. the lane of a racetrack farthest from the infield; the outside lane. Compare pole ¹( def 4 ).
6. Digital Technology.
   1. an online message that is submitted to a message board or electronic mailing list.
   2. text, images, etc., that are placed on a website:

      a blog post.

7. a thin metal bar affixed to the back of an earring and designed to pass through a pierced earlobe.

verb (used with object)

1. to affix (a notice, bulletin, etc.) to a post, wall, or the like.

   Synonyms: publicize, advertise, announce

2. to bring to public notice by or as by a poster or bill:

   to post a reward.

3. to denounce by a public notice or declaration:

   They were posted as spies.

4. to publish the name of in a list:

   to post a student on the dean's list.

5. to publish the name of (a ship) as missing or lost.
6. to placard (a wall, fence, etc.) with notices, bulletins, etc.:

   The wall was posted with announcements.

7. to put up signs on (land or other property) forbidding trespassing:

   The estate has been posted by the owner.

8. Digital Technology.
   1. to submit (an online message) to a message board or electronic mailing list.
   2. to place (text, images, etc.) on a website:

      I just posted some photos of my trip.

verb (used without object)

1. Digital Technology.
   1. to submit an online message to a message board or electronic mailing list.
   2. to place text, images, etc., on a website.

post

²

[ pohst ]

noun

1. a position of duty, employment, or trust to which one is assigned or appointed:

   a diplomatic post.

   Synonyms: assignment

2. the station or rounds of a person on duty, as a soldier, sentry or nurse.
3. a military station with permanent buildings.
4. a local unit of a veterans' organization.
5. Also called trading post. a place on the floor in the stock exchange where a particular stock is traded.
6. (in the British military services) either of two bugle calls first post and last post giving notice of the time to retire for the night, similar in purpose to the U.S. taps.
7. the body of troops occupying a military station.

verb (used with object)

1. to place or station at a post.
2. to provide or put up, as bail.
3. to appoint to a post of command.

post

³

[ pohst ]

noun

1. Chiefly British.
   1. a single dispatch or delivery of mail.
   2. the mail itself.
   3. the letters and packages being delivered to a single recipient.
   4. an established mail system or service, especially under government authority.
2. British. post office ( def 1 ).
3. (formerly) one of a series of stations along a route, for furnishing relays of men and horses for carrying mail, currency, etc.
4. (formerly) a person who traveled express, especially over a fixed route, carrying mail, currency, etc.
5. Printing. a size of printing paper or, especially in Britain, of drawing or writing paper, about 16 × 20 inches (41 × 51 centimeters).
6. post octavo, a size of book, from about 5 × 8 inches to 5.25 × 8.25 inches (13 × 20 centimeters to 13.33 × 21 centimeters), untrimmed, in the United States; 5 × 8 inches (13 × 20 centimeters), untrimmed, in England. : post 8vo
7. post quarto, Chiefly British. a size of book, about 8 × 10 inches (20 × 25 cm), untrimmed. : post 4vo

verb (used with object)

1. Chiefly British. to place in a post office or a mailbox for transmission; mail.
2. Bookkeeping.
   1. to transfer (an entry or item), as from the journal to the ledger.
   2. to enter (an item) in due place and form.
   3. to make all the requisite entries in (the ledger, etc.).
3. to supply with up-to-date information; inform:

   Keep me posted on his activities.

   Synonyms: apprise, advise, notify

verb (used without object)

1. Manège. to rise from and descend to the saddle in accordance with the rhythm of a horse at a trot.
2. to travel with speed; go or pass rapidly; hasten.

adverb

1. with speed or haste; posthaste.
2. by post or courier.
3. with post horses.

Post

⁴

[ pohst ]

noun

1. Charles William, 1854–1914, U.S. businessman: developed breakfast foods.
2. Emily Price, 1873?–1960, U.S. writer on social etiquette.
3. George Browne, 1837–1913, U.S. architect.
4. Wiley, 1899–1935, U.S. aviator.

post-

⁵

1. a prefix, meaning “behind,” “after,” “later,” “subsequent to,” “posterior to,” occurring originally in loanwords from Latin ( postscript ), but now used freely in the formation of compound words ( post-Elizabethan; postfix; postgraduate; postorbital ).
2. a prefix occurring in compound words that refer to an environment in which the thing expressed in the second element of the word is no longer relevant or significant ( post-truth; post-fact; post-race; post-gender ).

post

¹

/ pəʊst /

noun

1. a position to which a person is appointed or elected; appointment; job
2. a position or station to which a person, such as a sentry, is assigned for duty
3. a permanent military establishment
4. either of two military bugle calls ( first post and last post ) ordering or giving notice of the time to retire for the night
5. See trading post trading post

verb

1. tr to assign to or station at a particular place or position
2. to transfer to a different unit or ship on taking up a new appointment, etc

POST

²

abbreviation for

1. point of sales terminal

post-

³

prefix

1. after in time or sequence; following; subsequent

   postgraduate

2. behind; posterior to

   postorbital

post

⁴

/ pəʊst /

noun

1. a length of wood, metal, etc, fixed upright in the ground to serve as a support, marker, point of attachment, etc
2. horse racing
   1. either of two upright poles marking the beginning ( starting post ) and end ( winning post ) of a racecourse
   2. the finish of a horse race
3. any of the main upright supports of a piece of furniture, such as a four-poster bed

verb

1. sometimes foll by up to fasten or put up (a notice) in a public place
2. to announce by means of or as if by means of a poster

   to post banns

3. to publish (a name) on a list

post

⁵

/ pəʊst /

noun

1. letters, packages, etc, that are transported and delivered by the Post Office; mail
2. a single collection or delivery of mail
3. an official system of mail delivery
4. an item of electronic mail made publicly available
5. (formerly) any of a series of stations furnishing relays of men and horses to deliver mail over a fixed route
6. a rider who carried mail between such stations
7. another word for pillar box
8. short for post office
9. a size of writing or printing paper, 15 1 4 by 19 inches or 16 1 2 by 21 inches ( large post )
10. any of various book sizes, esp 5 1 4 by 8 1 4 inches ( post octavo ) and 8 1 4 by 10 1 4 inches ( post quarto )
11. by return of post
    by the next mail in the opposite direction

verb

1. tr to send by post US and Canadian wordmail
2. tr to make (electronic mail) publicly available
3. tr accounting
   1. to enter (an item) in a ledger
   2. often foll by up to compile or enter all paper items in (a ledger)
4. tr to inform of the latest news (esp in the phrase keep someone posted )
5. intr (of a rider) to rise from and reseat oneself in a saddle in time with the motions of a trotting horse; perform a rising trot
6. intr (formerly) to travel with relays of post horses
7. archaic.
   to travel or dispatch with speed; hasten

adverb

1. with speed; rapidly
2. by means of post horses

post–

1. A prefix that means “after,” as in postoperative, after an operation, or “behind,” as in postnasal, behind the nose or nasal passages.

Other Words From

• post·less adverb
• post·like adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of post¹

First recorded before 1000; Middle English, Old English, from Latin postis “a post, doorpost,” whence also Dutch, Low German post, German Pfosten

Origin of post²

First recorded in 1590–1600; from French poste, from Italian posto, from Latin positum, neuter of positus, past participle of pōnere “to place, put”; posit

Origin of post³

First recorded in 1500–10; from French poste, from Italian posta, from Latin posita, feminine of positus, past participle of pōnere “to place, put”; post ²

Origin of post⁴

From Latin, combining form representing post (adverb and preposition)

Word History and Origins

Origin of post¹

C16: from French poste, from Italian posto, ultimately from Latin pōnere to place

Origin of post²

from Latin, from post after, behind

Origin of post³

Old English, from Latin postis; related to Old High German first ridgepole, Greek pastas colonnade

Origin of post⁴

C16: via French from Italian poste, from Latin posita something placed, from pōnere to put, place

Idioms and Phrases

see deaf as a post ; from pillar to post ; keep posted .

Synonym Study

See appointment.

Example Sentences

I could be wrong, but I don’t remember many anticipatory social media posts of teens warming up to croon “Tonight” during screenings of Steven Spielberg’s “West Side Story” revival.

From Salon

Israel says it struck targets in Lebanon on Monday evening after vowing to retaliate for an attack by Hezbollah on a military post, with both sides accusing each other of violating last week's ceasefire.

From BBC

"Wow...dreams might come true," posted former England international Young on X.

From BBC

"President Biden's decision put personal interest ahead of duty and further erodes Americans' faith that the justice system is fair and equal for all," Colorado Senator Michael Bennet posted on X, formerly Twitter.

From BBC

Atacms and Storm Shadow missiles may have been used to powerful, even devastating, effect on distant command posts and ammunition dumps, but such successes seem remote to soldiers on the front lines.

From BBC

Related Words

• appointment
• assignment
• job
• office
• place
• position
• situation