Pigeonhole

Definitions

1. One of an array of open compartments for housing pigeons in a dovecote or pigeon loft.
2. A hole or opening in a door or wall for a pigeon to pass through.
   archaic
3. One of an array of open compartments in a desk, set of shelves, etc., used for sorting or storing letters, papers, or other items.
   broadly
4. One of an array of open compartments for receiving mail and other messages at a college, office, etc.
   broadly
5. A compartment or cubicle in a room or other place, especially one which is (excessively) small.
   broadly
6. A small opening for looking or passing things through.
   broadly
7. An opening in a ship for passing equipment such as an oar or rigging through.
   archaic, broadly
8. A form of stocks with openings for restraining a person's hands or feet; also, one of the openings in the device.
   also, attributive, broadly, historical, in-plural
9. A seat in the top row of the gallery of a theatre.
   broadly, obsolete
10. A notional category or class into which someone or something is placed.
    figuratively
11. A space between two words that is too wide.
    archaic, figuratively

Equivalents

14 more languages

العربيةأهمل

Bosanskipretinacпретинац

Catalàencasellar

Ελληνικάπεριστερώνας

Suomihäpeäpaalujalkapuukyyhkyslakkalokerolokeroidaluokitella+ 3 more

Hrvatskipretinacпретинац

Italianoclassificareetichettarepiccionaia

日本語決めつける

Македонскивбројувагулабарник

Nederlandsduivenhokduiventilhokjesdenken

Polskiszufladka

Portuguêsrotular

Русскийголуби́ное гнездо́

Српскиpretinacпретинац

Examples

“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.”

“[H]e walked across Hawthorn Tree Court on his way to the porter's lodge. […] At the lodge he cleared his pigeon-hole.”

“The general size of a store in Tangier is about that of an ordinary shower-bath in a civilized land⟳. […] You can rent⟳ a whole block⟳ of these pigeon-holes for fifty dollars a month.”

“However, as my friend came dodging towards my door, I saw⟳ him through the usual pigeon hole through which warders speak⟳ to their prisoners.”

“[D]ovvne vvith him in his Maieſties name⟳, dovvne, dovvne vvith him, and carry⟳ him avvay, to the pigeon-holes.”

“The Play⟳ is done: For from the Pigeon-hole / I heard them hiſs the Curtain as it fell.”

“The Beat⟳ writers had very different styles and disliked the invented term and pigeonhole forced upon them.”

“Amazon's new pigeonhole for books about unmarried females is far more old-fashioned than the 'New Woman novel' tag deployed in the 19th century”

“Theſe vvide VVhites are by Compoſiters (in vvay of Scandal) call'd Pidgeon-holes, and are by none accounted good VVorkmanſhip, unleſs in ſuch caſes of neceſſity, as aforeſaid. […] And if he [a compositor] Sets too VVide, and he chance to Set⟳ a VVord to tvvo tvvice over, he may be forc'd to make⟳ Pidgeon-holes e're he come⟳ to a Break⟳, […]”

CEFR level