English Meaning & Definitions
One of a series of small, recessed compartments in a desk, cabinet, or wall used for storing letters or documents.
- “She checked her office pigeonhole for any new mail.”
- “Important invoices were sorted into the top wooden pigeonhole.”
To assign to a particular category or class, often excessively or restrictively.
- “Critics tried to pigeonhole the band as merely a novelty act.”
- “It is dangerous to pigeonhole students based on their initial test scores.”
English Synonyms & Near Equivalents
English Antonyms & Opposites
Comprehensive Thesaurus Breakdown
Compare formal, informal, literary synonyms and register nuances for “pigeonhole”.
Derived from the late 16th-century practice of referring to small, recessed compartments in a desk or cabinet as 'pigeon-holes' because they resembled the small openings in a dovecote (pigeonhouse) where pigeons nested.
Imagine a tiny hole in a desk just big enough for a single pigeon to sit in, used for sorting mail.
Frequently Asked Questions About “pigeonhole”
1. What is the meaning of “pigeonhole” in English?
In English, pigeonhole (noun) is defined as: “One of a series of small, recessed compartments in a desk, cabinet, or wall used for storing letters or documents.”.
2. How do you use “pigeonhole” in a sentence?
“She checked her office pigeonhole for any new mail.”
3. What are English synonyms of “pigeonhole”?
4. What is the etymology and word origin of “pigeonhole”?
Derived from the late 16th-century practice of referring to small, recessed compartments in a desk or cabinet as 'pigeon-holes' because they resembled the small openings in a dovecote (pigeonhouse) where pigeons nested.
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