"postmaster" meaning in English

See postmaster in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Noun

IPA: /ˈpoʊstˌmæstɚ/ [General-American] Audio: LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-postmaster.wav Forms: postmasters [plural]
Etymology: From post + master. Etymology templates: {{af|en|post|master}} post + master Head templates: {{en-noun}} postmaster (plural postmasters)
  1. The head of a post office. Translations (head of a post office): началник поща (načalnik pošta) [masculine] (Bulgarian), postitoimiston johtaja (english: large office) (Finnish), postitoimiston päällikkö (Finnish), postipäällikkö (english: small) (Finnish), postimestari [archaic] (Finnish), mainshtyr post [masculine] (Manx), Postmeista [masculine] (Plautdietsch), diriginte de poștă [masculine] (Romanian), нача́льник почто́вого учрежде́ния (načálʹnik počtóvovo učreždénija) [masculine] (Russian), почтме́йстер (počtméjster) [historical, masculine] (Russian)
    Sense id: en-postmaster-en-noun-5ev-ypbg Categories (other): Post Disambiguation of Post: 51 4 15 30 Disambiguation of 'head of a post office': 95 2 2 2
  2. (Internet) The administrator of an electronic mail system. Tags: Internet
    Sense id: en-postmaster-en-noun-x-Um-qcj Categories (other): Internet, E-mail Disambiguation of E-mail: 12 67 7 14
  3. (British) A kind of scholar at Merton College, Oxford; portionist. Tags: British
    Sense id: en-postmaster-en-noun-DuXjf6NH Categories (other): British English
  4. (archaic) One who has charge of a station for the accommodation of travellers; one who supplies post horses. Tags: archaic
    Sense id: en-postmaster-en-noun-UaJVHivC Categories (other): English entries with incorrect language header, Entries with translation boxes, Pages with 2 entries, Pages with entries, Terms with Bulgarian translations, Terms with Finnish translations, Terms with Manx translations, Terms with Plautdietsch translations, Terms with Romanian translations, Terms with Russian translations, Occupations, People Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 19 18 18 45 Disambiguation of Entries with translation boxes: 11 14 13 63 Disambiguation of Pages with 2 entries: 7 11 17 65 Disambiguation of Pages with entries: 5 8 13 73 Disambiguation of Terms with Bulgarian translations: 14 12 21 52 Disambiguation of Terms with Finnish translations: 15 12 22 51 Disambiguation of Terms with Manx translations: 11 17 32 40 Disambiguation of Terms with Plautdietsch translations: 7 11 20 62 Disambiguation of Terms with Romanian translations: 15 12 22 51 Disambiguation of Terms with Russian translations: 13 12 16 58 Disambiguation of Occupations: 19 26 8 47 Disambiguation of People: 0 0 0 100
The following are not (yet) sense-disambiguated
Derived forms: Postmaster General, postmastership, subpostmaster Coordinate_terms: postmistress

Inflected forms

Alternative forms

{
  "coordinate_terms": [
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0",
      "word": "postmistress"
    }
  ],
  "derived": [
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0",
      "word": "Postmaster General"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0",
      "word": "postmastership"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0",
      "word": "subpostmaster"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "post",
        "3": "master"
      },
      "expansion": "post + master",
      "name": "af"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "From post + master.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "postmasters",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "postmaster (plural postmasters)",
      "name": "en-noun"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "51 4 15 30",
          "kind": "other",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "Post",
          "orig": "en:Post",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "bold_text_offsets": [
            [
              36,
              46
            ]
          ],
          "ref": "2014 May 14, Andy Newman, “New York Today: Meet Your Postmaster”, in The New York Times:",
          "text": "With that, Elvin Mercado became the postmaster of Manhattan, ruling the mails from the palatial James A. Farley Post Office on Eighth Avenue.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "The head of a post office."
      ],
      "id": "en-postmaster-en-noun-5ev-ypbg",
      "links": [
        [
          "head",
          "head"
        ],
        [
          "post office",
          "post office"
        ]
      ],
      "translations": [
        {
          "_dis1": "95 2 2 2",
          "code": "bg",
          "lang": "Bulgarian",
          "lang_code": "bg",
          "roman": "načalnik pošta",
          "sense": "head of a post office",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "началник поща"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "95 2 2 2",
          "code": "fi",
          "english": "large office",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "lang_code": "fi",
          "sense": "head of a post office",
          "translation": "large office",
          "word": "postitoimiston johtaja"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "95 2 2 2",
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "lang_code": "fi",
          "sense": "head of a post office",
          "word": "postitoimiston päällikkö"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "95 2 2 2",
          "code": "fi",
          "english": "small",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "lang_code": "fi",
          "sense": "head of a post office",
          "translation": "small",
          "word": "postipäällikkö"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "95 2 2 2",
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "lang_code": "fi",
          "sense": "head of a post office",
          "tags": [
            "archaic"
          ],
          "word": "postimestari"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "95 2 2 2",
          "code": "gv",
          "lang": "Manx",
          "lang_code": "gv",
          "sense": "head of a post office",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "mainshtyr post"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "95 2 2 2",
          "code": "pdt",
          "lang": "Plautdietsch",
          "lang_code": "pdt",
          "sense": "head of a post office",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "Postmeista"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "95 2 2 2",
          "code": "ro",
          "lang": "Romanian",
          "lang_code": "ro",
          "sense": "head of a post office",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "diriginte de poștă"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "95 2 2 2",
          "code": "ru",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "lang_code": "ru",
          "roman": "načálʹnik počtóvovo učreždénija",
          "sense": "head of a post office",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "нача́льник почто́вого учрежде́ния"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "95 2 2 2",
          "code": "ru",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "lang_code": "ru",
          "roman": "počtméjster",
          "sense": "head of a post office",
          "tags": [
            "historical",
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "почтме́йстер"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "Internet",
          "orig": "en:Internet",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "12 67 7 14",
          "kind": "other",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "E-mail",
          "orig": "en:E-mail",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "The administrator of an electronic mail system."
      ],
      "id": "en-postmaster-en-noun-x-Um-qcj",
      "links": [
        [
          "Internet",
          "Internet"
        ],
        [
          "administrator",
          "administrator"
        ],
        [
          "electronic mail",
          "electronic mail"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(Internet) The administrator of an electronic mail system."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "Internet"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "British English",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A kind of scholar at Merton College, Oxford; portionist."
      ],
      "id": "en-postmaster-en-noun-DuXjf6NH",
      "links": [
        [
          "Oxford",
          "Oxford"
        ],
        [
          "portionist",
          "portionist"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(British) A kind of scholar at Merton College, Oxford; portionist."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "British"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "19 18 18 45",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "11 14 13 63",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Entries with translation boxes",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "7 11 17 65",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with 2 entries",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "5 8 13 73",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with entries",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "14 12 21 52",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Bulgarian translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
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          "_dis": "15 12 22 51",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Finnish translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "11 17 32 40",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Manx translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "7 11 20 62",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Plautdietsch translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "15 12 22 51",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Romanian translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "13 12 16 58",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Russian translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "19 26 8 47",
          "kind": "other",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "Occupations",
          "orig": "en:Occupations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "0 0 0 100",
          "kind": "other",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "People",
          "orig": "en:People",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "One who has charge of a station for the accommodation of travellers; one who supplies post horses."
      ],
      "id": "en-postmaster-en-noun-UaJVHivC",
      "links": [
        [
          "station",
          "station"
        ],
        [
          "accommodation",
          "accommodation"
        ],
        [
          "traveller",
          "traveller"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(archaic) One who has charge of a station for the accommodation of travellers; one who supplies post horses."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "archaic"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/ˈpoʊstˌmæstɚ/",
      "tags": [
        "General-American"
      ]
    },
    {
      "audio": "LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-postmaster.wav",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/6/68/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Flame%2C_not_lame-postmaster.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Flame%2C_not_lame-postmaster.wav.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/6/68/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Flame%2C_not_lame-postmaster.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Flame%2C_not_lame-postmaster.wav.ogg"
    }
  ],
  "word": "postmaster"
}
{
  "categories": [
    "English compound terms",
    "English countable nouns",
    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English lemmas",
    "English nouns",
    "Entries with translation boxes",
    "Pages with 2 entries",
    "Pages with entries",
    "Terms with Bulgarian translations",
    "Terms with Finnish translations",
    "Terms with Manx translations",
    "Terms with Plautdietsch translations",
    "Terms with Romanian translations",
    "Terms with Russian translations",
    "en:E-mail",
    "en:Occupations",
    "en:People",
    "en:Post"
  ],
  "coordinate_terms": [
    {
      "word": "postmistress"
    }
  ],
  "derived": [
    {
      "word": "Postmaster General"
    },
    {
      "word": "postmastership"
    },
    {
      "word": "subpostmaster"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "post",
        "3": "master"
      },
      "expansion": "post + master",
      "name": "af"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "From post + master.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "postmasters",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "postmaster (plural postmasters)",
      "name": "en-noun"
    }
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  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "English terms with quotations"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "bold_text_offsets": [
            [
              36,
              46
            ]
          ],
          "ref": "2014 May 14, Andy Newman, “New York Today: Meet Your Postmaster”, in The New York Times:",
          "text": "With that, Elvin Mercado became the postmaster of Manhattan, ruling the mails from the palatial James A. Farley Post Office on Eighth Avenue.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "The head of a post office."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "head",
          "head"
        ],
        [
          "post office",
          "post office"
        ]
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "en:Internet"
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "The administrator of an electronic mail system."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "Internet",
          "Internet"
        ],
        [
          "administrator",
          "administrator"
        ],
        [
          "electronic mail",
          "electronic mail"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(Internet) The administrator of an electronic mail system."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "Internet"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "British English"
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A kind of scholar at Merton College, Oxford; portionist."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "Oxford",
          "Oxford"
        ],
        [
          "portionist",
          "portionist"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(British) A kind of scholar at Merton College, Oxford; portionist."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "British"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "English terms with archaic senses"
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "One who has charge of a station for the accommodation of travellers; one who supplies post horses."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "station",
          "station"
        ],
        [
          "accommodation",
          "accommodation"
        ],
        [
          "traveller",
          "traveller"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(archaic) One who has charge of a station for the accommodation of travellers; one who supplies post horses."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "archaic"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/ˈpoʊstˌmæstɚ/",
      "tags": [
        "General-American"
      ]
    },
    {
      "audio": "LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-postmaster.wav",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/6/68/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Flame%2C_not_lame-postmaster.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Flame%2C_not_lame-postmaster.wav.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/6/68/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Flame%2C_not_lame-postmaster.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Flame%2C_not_lame-postmaster.wav.ogg"
    }
  ],
  "translations": [
    {
      "code": "bg",
      "lang": "Bulgarian",
      "lang_code": "bg",
      "roman": "načalnik pošta",
      "sense": "head of a post office",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "началник поща"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "english": "large office",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "lang_code": "fi",
      "sense": "head of a post office",
      "translation": "large office",
      "word": "postitoimiston johtaja"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "lang_code": "fi",
      "sense": "head of a post office",
      "word": "postitoimiston päällikkö"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "english": "small",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "lang_code": "fi",
      "sense": "head of a post office",
      "translation": "small",
      "word": "postipäällikkö"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "lang_code": "fi",
      "sense": "head of a post office",
      "tags": [
        "archaic"
      ],
      "word": "postimestari"
    },
    {
      "code": "gv",
      "lang": "Manx",
      "lang_code": "gv",
      "sense": "head of a post office",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "mainshtyr post"
    },
    {
      "code": "pdt",
      "lang": "Plautdietsch",
      "lang_code": "pdt",
      "sense": "head of a post office",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "Postmeista"
    },
    {
      "code": "ro",
      "lang": "Romanian",
      "lang_code": "ro",
      "sense": "head of a post office",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "diriginte de poștă"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "lang_code": "ru",
      "roman": "načálʹnik počtóvovo učreždénija",
      "sense": "head of a post office",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "нача́льник почто́вого учрежде́ния"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "lang_code": "ru",
      "roman": "počtméjster",
      "sense": "head of a post office",
      "tags": [
        "historical",
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "почтме́йстер"
    }
  ],
  "word": "postmaster"
}

Download raw JSONL data for postmaster meaning in English (4.6kB)


This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2026-02-01 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2026-01-01 using wiktextract (f492ef9 and 9905b1f). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.