pigeonhole
/ˈpɪdʒənˌ(h)oʊl/
Word Rarity
Very rare
Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.20 in modern English
16
Scrabble Score
10
Letters
3
Syllables
8
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
One of an array of open compartments for housing pigeons in a dovecote or pigeon loft.
noun
One of an array of open compartments in a desk, set of shelves, etc., used for sorting or storing letters, papers, or other items.
noun
One of an array of open compartments in a desk, set of shelves, etc., used for sorting or storing letters, papers, or other items.
noun
A compartment or cubicle in a room or other place, especially one which is (excessively) small.
Example Sentences
- "Holonyms: pigeon loft, dovecote, columbary, columbarium"
- "The loft was lighted by a semicircular hole, though which the pigeons crept to their lodgings in the same high quarters of the premises; […] 'Dear Clym, I wonder how your face looks now?' she said, gazing abstractedly at the pigeon-hole, which admitted the sunlight so directly upon her brown hair and transparent tissues that it almost seemed to shine through her."
- "Abbé [Emmanuel Joseph] Sieyès has vvhole neſts of pigeon-holes full of conſtitutions ready made, ticketed, ſorted, and numbered; ſuited to every ſeaſon and every fancy; […]"
- "Blank ink and red ink, pounce, wafers, wax, pens, seals, imbibing-paper, rulers, files, were all there; pegs for hats, shelves and hooks, pigeon-holes full of samples of sugar, of rice, tobacco, coffee, and the like: all the dull paraphernalia of a trader's elaboratory."
- "This has been fitted with blocks of pigeon-holes, 1029 in number, for the reception of the alphabetically arranged slips."
- "Fred was disappointed to find his pigeonhole empty except for bills and a flyer offering 20% off on manicures."
Etymology
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /ˈpɪdʒənˌ(h)oʊl/
- British English: /ˈpɪdʒ(ɪ)nhəʊl/