Inbox

/ˈɪnˌbɑːks/ noun

Definition

The place in an email program or messaging system where new messages arrive; originally, a tray on a desk for incoming papers.

Etymology

Formed from 'in' + 'box', first used for physical trays that held incoming documents. The term was later borrowed by digital communication to describe electronic message containers.

Kelly Says

The digital inbox is just the old office paper tray reborn on your screen. The metaphor stuck so well that we now talk about ‘inbox zero’ as if our email were a physical pile we could actually see.

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