paquebot
English
Etymology
Borrowed from French paquebot (“mailboat”). First used in Great Britain in 1894, the term was adopted for general use by the Universal Postal Union in 1897.
Noun
paquebot (plural paquebots)
- a mailboat
- (postal history) a postal marking or cancellation stamped on mail posted at sea or in a harbour for processing by the postal authorities at the next port of call. Mail so marked in one country will often carry the stamps of another country.
Adjective
paquebot (not comparable)
- Relating to mail posted at sea.
- a paquebot letter
- a paquebot duplex
Usage notes
The word would typically be stamped in upper case, PAQUEBOT, on the postal item, but when described in text would be written with a capital P only, eg, Paquebot.
References
- Douglas and Mary Patrick, The Musson Stamp Dictionary, Toronto, Musson Book Company, 1972.
French
Etymology
Borrowed from English packet-boat.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /pak.bo/
Audio (file)
Noun
paquebot m (plural paquebots)
- ship, liner
Descendants
- → English: paquebot
Further reading
- “paquebot”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.