air letter |
an airmail letter. [2 definitions] |
block letter |
a simple, hand-printed capital letter. [2 definitions] |
capital letter |
a letter of the alphabet written or printed larger than and in a somewhat different form from its lower-case equivalent and used to designate a proper noun or initiate a sentence. |
chain letter |
a letter with a message or money-making proposal that instructs the recipient to copy the letter and send it to others. |
cover letter |
a letter of explanation enclosed with a document, package, or the like. |
day letter |
in former times, a telegram sent during the day that was cheaper but slower than a regular telegram. |
dead letter |
a letter that the post office is unable to deliver or return, usu. because of an incorrect address or the lack of a return address. [2 definitions] |
dead-letter office |
a postal department to which undeliverable or unreturnable letters and parcels are sent to be opened, delivered if an address can be found, or destroyed. |
form letter |
a business letter, solicitation, or the like, composed so that it may be sent to any number of people with only minor changes such as the salutation and date. |
four-letter word |
any of several short English words that are considered offensive or obscene. |
Greek-letter |
of, pertaining to, or designating a society, such as a fraternity or sorority, whose name consists of Greek letters. |
letter carrier |
someone who delivers mail, usu. an employee of the postal service. |
letter of credit |
a letter from a bank authorizing the bearer to withdraw specified sums of money, usu. from other banks, finance houses, or agencies, to be charged to the bank that issued the letter. |
letter of marque |
formerly, a government document that authorized a ship captain to seize the ships of other nations. |
letter opener |
a knifelike tool used to open sealed envelopes. |
letter-perfect |
correct or accurate in every detail. |
night letter |
a telegram sent overnight, at a lower rate than usual, for delivery the next day. |
open letter |
a letter, usu. of protest or criticism, that is addressed to a specific individual or group but published in a newspaper or magazine to gain public attention. |
red-letter |
significant, as a happy occasion; memorable. |
scarlet letter |
formerly, a red letter "A" worn as a badge of shame by a convicted adulterer, as among U.S. Puritans. |