UK[meɪl]US[meɪl]
n
Letters and parcels sent or delivered by the postal system.
n
Armor made of metal rings or plates.
v
To send a letter or parcel using the postal system.
Etymology
The modern word 'mail' has a fascinating dual history, representing two distinct words that converged in spelling. The first, referring to letters and postal items, originates from the Old French 'male', meaning a bag or wallet for carrying letters. This Frankish-derived term entered English in the medieval period, initially denoting the bag itself before shifting to its contents. The second, referring to armor, comes from the Old French 'maille', meaning mesh or net, from Latin 'macula' (mesh, spot). The postal sense's journey from a physical container (a bag) to the abstract system of delivery is a classic example of metonymy, where the name of one thing is used for something closely associated with it.
Analysis
This is a simplex word. It entered English from Old French 'male', meaning a bag or a traveling bag, which itself came from Frankish or another Germanic source. The word is not productively built from smaller, meaningful English morphemes.
Examples
I check my mailbox for new mail every morning.
In the museum, you can see a tunic made of chain mail.
Please mail this package to our London office.