Post Office Protocol

[ pohst aw-fis proh-tuh-kawl, proh-tuh-kol, of-is ]

noun

, Computers.

1. a set of standards for retrieving email from a server so that the recipient can access it: allows offline access to the emails, but not synchronization of a mailbox across multiple devices. : POP. Compare IMAP ( def ), SMTP ( def ).

Word History and Origins

Origin of Post Office Protocol¹

First recorded in 1985–90

Example Sentences

It should also get you better access: Mass-market mail services such as Comcast's or Verizon's use an old system, Post Office Protocol, that works poorly unless you read your mail only on one computer or on their Web-mail sites.

From Washington Post