Definition of dead letter

dead letternoun

thư chết

/ˌded ˈletə(r)//ˌded ˈletər/

The term "dead letter" refers to a piece of mail that cannot be delivered to its intended recipient due to unknown or missing address information, the addressee's refusal to accept the mail, or the addressee's death. The phrase "dead letter" originated in the early 19th century, when letter carriers in England began using it to describe letters that had been returned as undeliverable. The imagery behind the term comes from the fact that in ancient times, letters that could not be delivered were often placed in tombs or buried as a symbol of the person's supposed death or absence. This practice is still reflected in modern times, as postal services today often hold onto dead letters for a period of time before destroying or disposing of them.

namespace

a law or an agreement that still exists but that is ignored

một luật hoặc một thỏa thuận vẫn còn tồn tại nhưng bị bỏ qua

Example:
  • The treaty had been a dead letter for many years.

    Bản hiệp ước này đã trở nên vô giá trị trong nhiều năm.

a letter that cannot be delivered to an address or to the person who sent it

một lá thư không thể gửi đến địa chỉ hoặc người đã gửi nó