pigeonhole

noun
UK: /ˈpɪdʒ.ən.həʊl/
US: /ˈpɪdʒ.ən.hoʊl/

  1. A small compartment or space for storing letters or messages.

    1. Put the mail in my pigeonhole.
    2. Each teacher has a pigeonhole in the staff room for receiving school memos.

  2. A category, often unfairly limiting, into which someone or something is placed.

    1. Don't pigeonhole me as shy.
    2. The actor didn't want to be pigeonholed as just a comedic performer.

Synonyms

compartment shelve label category defer stereotype classify
pigeonhole verb

  1. To unfairly categorize someone or something, often limiting their potential or perception.

    1. They pigeonhole all young people.
    2. The movie pigeonholes women into stereotypical roles and limits their depth.

  2. To put something away for later; to postpone dealing with it.

    1. I will pigeonhole it for now.
    2. The committee decided to pigeonhole the proposal until further research was conducted.

Frequently Asked Questions

The word "pigeonhole" in English means: A small compartment or space for storing letters or messages., A category, often unfairly limiting, into which someone or something is placed..

The phonetic transcription of "pigeonhole" is /ˈpɪdʒ.ən.həʊl/ in British English and /ˈpɪdʒ.ən.hoʊl/ in American English. Click the 🔊 button to hear both pronunciations.

Synonyms for "pigeonhole": compartment, shelve, label, category, defer, stereotype, classify.

Example usage of "pigeonhole": "Put the mail in my pigeonhole.". More examples on the page.