Meaning of Pigeonhole | Babel Free

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

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