post townn.
/ˈpəʊs(t) taʊn/, U.S. /ˈpoʊs(t) ˌtaʊn/ 1. British. A town having a post office, esp. one that is not merely a sub-office of another; (now also) a town, or occasionally other district, assigned its own postcode.
ΘΚΠ
society > communication > correspondence > postal services > [noun] > post-town
post town1635
post village1673
society > inhabiting and dwelling > inhabited place > district in relation to human occupation > town as opposed to country > town > [noun] > other types of town
country town1598
post town1635
Residenz1824
garden town1835
Residenzstadt1841
hometown1851
tin town1884
ghost town1894
new town1918
shopping strip1935
twin town1955
society > communication > correspondence > postal services > [noun] > post-town > town having postcode
post town1973
1635 Proclamation in R. Sanders Rymer's Fœdera (1732) XIX. 649/2 To take with them all such Letters as shall be directed to any Post-Town, or any Place near any Post-Town in the said Road.
1682 London Gaz. No. 1761/4 All persons concerned are desired to insert at the bottom of their Letters the Post-Town nearest to the place their Letters are directed, for their speedy Conveyance.
1772 Ann. Reg. 1771 98/2 The court gave judgment,..declaring, that by the several acts relating to the post-office, all letters must be delivered by the post-master of every post-town, to the persons to whom such letters are directed.
1889 C. Smith Repentance Paul Wentworth III. 5 I walked over to the post-town for the second post.
1924 Geogr. Jrnl. 63 154 The Secretary of the General Post Office..informs us that the compilation of a Post-Office Guide, which will show the names of post-towns bilingually, is in hand with a view to publication early this year.
1973 Guardian 7 Feb. 1/1 The Post Office will recognise Milton Keynes as a separate post town on Monday.
1991 Royal Mail Information Leaflet (BNC) 10 Show the full correct postal address which should include the post town and postcode.
2. A town at which post-horses are kept. Now historical.
ΘΚΠ
society > inhabiting and dwelling > inhabited place > district in relation to human occupation > town as opposed to country > town > [noun] > town where journey is broken
baiting-townc1530
post town1756
society > travel > transport > transport or conveyance in a vehicle > transport by relays of horses or vehicles > [noun] > travelling by means of post-horses > town where post-horses are kept
post town1756
1756 M. Calderwood Lett. & Jrnls. (1884) i. 18 There are few country villages in Scotland (where) I will not muster out as many inhabitants as are in any of these post touns.
1792 G. Wakefield Mem. (1804) I. ii. 54 During the necessary delay at some post-town, our contemplative parson rambled about after a bookseller's shop.
1825 N. Amer. Rev. Jan. 166 Dr Bollmann and Mr Huger sent their carriage ahead to Hoff, a post town about twenty five miles on the road they wished to take.
1857 W. Collins Dead Secret II. vi. ii. 232 The servants..were amazed by receiving directions..to order horses at the post-town for an early hour the next morning.
1870 Jrnl. Royal Geogr. Soc. 40 339 On the road we met with great civility..from the yakunins of the post-towns and villages.
1941 Monumenta Nipponica 4 92 The expenses of the daimyôs' periodical journeys had largely to be borne by the post-towns on the route.
1989 H. L. Trefousse Andrew Johnson ii. 28 The ceremony took place on May 17, 1827, in nearby Warrensburg, a post town on the Little Chuncky in the western angle of Greene County.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, December 2006; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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n.1635