rural free delivery

[ roor-uhl free di-liv-uh-ree ]

noun

1. former name for rural delivery service. : R.F.D.

Word History and Origins

Origin of rural free delivery¹

An Americanism dating back to 1890–95

Example Sentences

Two economists studied how rural free delivery rolled out in America, and found that when it arrived in a new county, investment in manufacturing soon followed.

From BBC

In 1927, the nation of 119 million received 75 million Sears catalogues and other mailings, helped by another government program — rural free delivery.

From Washington Post

Wanamaker championed rural free delivery and won legislation that turned the post office into a place where people could park their savings.

From Washington Post

Some of Watson’s early ideas—rural free delivery of mail, for example—eventually came to fruition.

From The New Yorker

Insurance, do some banking, do some things that other countries are doing. Somewhere along the way, we have lost the fact that rural free delivery was put in to service the American public.

From BusinessWeek