star route

noun

: a mail-delivery route in a rural or thinly populated area served by a private carrier under contract who takes mail from one post office to another or from a railroad station to a post office and usually also delivers mail to private mailboxes along the route

Word History

Etymology

from the asterisk used to designate such routes in postal publications

First Known Use

1876, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of star route was in 1876

Dictionary Entries Near star route

Cite this Entry

“Star route.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/star%20route. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!