Search

Charles William, 1854–1914, U.S. businessman: developed breakfast foods.
Emily Price, 1873?–1960, U.S. writer on social etiquette.
George Browne, 1837–1913, U.S. architect.
Wiley, 1899–1935, U.S. aviator.
noun
a length of wood, metal, etc, fixed upright in the ground to serve as a support, marker, point of attachment, etc
(horse racing)

either of two upright poles marking the beginning (starting post) and end (winning post) of a racecourse
the finish of a horse race

any of the main upright supports of a piece of furniture, such as a four-poster bed
verb (transitive)
(sometimes foll by up) to fasten or put up (a notice) in a public place
to announce by means of or as if by means of a poster: to post banns
to publish (a name) on a list
noun
a position to which a person is appointed or elected; appointment; job
a position or station to which a person, such as a sentry, is assigned for duty
a permanent military establishment
(Brit) either of two military bugle calls (first post and last post) ordering or giving notice of the time to retire for the night
See trading post (sense 1), trading post (sense 2)
verb
(transitive) to assign to or station at a particular place or position
(mainly Brit) to transfer to a different unit or ship on taking up a new appointment, etc
noun
(mainly Brit) letters, packages, etc, that are transported and delivered by the Post Office; mail
(mainly Brit) a single collection or delivery of mail
(Brit) an official system of mail delivery
an item of electronic mail made publicly available
(formerly) any of a series of stations furnishing relays of men and horses to deliver mail over a fixed route
a rider who carried mail between such stations
(Brit) another word for pillar box
(Brit) short for post office
a size of writing or printing paper, 151/4 by 19 inches or 161/2 by 21 inches (large post)
any of various book sizes, esp 51/4 by 81/4 inches (post octavo) and 81/4 by 101/4 inches (post quarto)
(Brit) by return of post, by the next mail in the opposite direction
verb
(transitive) (mainly Brit) to send by post US and Canadian word mail
(transitive) to make (electronic mail) publicly available
(transitive) (accounting)

to enter (an item) in a ledger
(often foll by up) to compile or enter all paper items in (a ledger)

(transitive) to inform of the latest news (esp in the phrase keep someone posted)
(intransitive) (of a rider) to rise from and reseat oneself in a saddle in time with the motions of a trotting horse; perform a rising trot
(intransitive) (formerly) to travel with relays of post horses
(archaic) to travel or dispatch with speed; hasten
adverb
with speed; rapidly
by means of post horses
abbreviation
point of sales terminal
n.

“a timber set upright,” from Old English post “pillar, doorpost,” and Old French post “post, upright beam,” both from Latin postis “door, post, doorpost,” perhaps from por- “forth” (see pro-) + stare “to stand” (see stet). Similar compound in Sanskrit prstham “back, roof, peak,” Avestan parshti “back,” Greek pastas “porch in front of a house, colonnade,” Middle High German virst “ridepole,” Lithuanian pirstas, Old Church Slavonic pristu “finger” (PIE *por-st-i-).

“place when on duty,” 1590s, from Middle French poste “place where one is stationed,” also, “station for post horses” (16c.), from Italian posto “post, station,” from Vulgar Latin *postum, from Latin positum, neuter past participle of ponere “to place, to put” (see position (n.)). Earliest sense in English was military; meaning “job, position” is attested 1690s.

“mail system,” c.1500, “riders and horses posted at intervals,” from post (n.2) on notion of riders and horses “posted” at intervals along a route to speed mail in relays, probably formed on model of Middle French poste in this sense (late 15c.). Meaning “system for carrying mail” is from 1660s.
v.

“to affix (a paper, etc.) to a post” (in a public place), hence, “to make known,” 1630s, from post (n.1). Related: Posted; posting.

in bookkeeping, “to transfer from a day book to a formal account,” 1620s, from post (n.2) via a figurative sense of “carrying” by post horses. Related: Posted; posting.

“to send through the postal system,” 1837, from post (n.3). Earlier, “to travel with relays of horses” (1530s). Related: Posted; posting.

“to put up bail money,” 1781, from one of the nouns post, but which one is uncertain. Related: Posted; posting.

“to station at a post,” from post (n.2). Related: Posted; posting.
adv.

1540s, “with post horses,” hence, “rapidly;” especially in the phrase to ride post “go rapidly,” from post (n.3).
power-on self test

(1.) A runner, or courier, for the rapid transmission of letters, etc. (2 Chr. 30:6; Esther 3:13, 15; 8:10, 14; Job 9:25; Jer. 51:31). Such messengers were used from very early times. Those employed by the Hebrew kings had a military character (1 Sam. 22:17; 2 Kings 10:25, “guard,” marg. “runners”). The modern system of postal communication was first established by Louis XI. of France in A.D. 1464. (2.) This word sometimes also is used for lintel or threshold (Isa. 6:4).

see:

deaf as a post
from pillar to post
keep posted