Pigeon-hole messagebox

Pigeon-hole messageboxes at Stanford University

The inspiration for the name: racing pigeons being held in compartments

A pigeon-hole messagebox (commonly referred to as a pigeon-hole or pidge, a cubbyhole (often shortened to "cubby") or simply as a mailbox in some academic or office settings) is an internal mail system commonly used for communication in organisations, workplaces and educational institutes in the United Kingdom and other countries. Documents and messages are placed in a person's pigeon-hole for them to collect; they can reply by putting a response inside the sender's pigeon-hole.

The name comes from the similarity in appearance to the compartments used in pigeon racing to store the animals whilst in transit.

Cubbies are also used in American preschools and kindergartens as places to store backpacks, lunchboxes, and jackets.

In large organisations the mailboy delivers mail to departmental pigeon holes from the postroom.

See also

• Internal mail
• Tambour desk