pigeonhole

1 a specific (often simplistic) category

2 a small compartment [syn: cubbyhole]

1 place into a small compartment

2 treat or classify according to a mental stereotype; "I was stereotyped as a lazy Southern European" [syn: stereotype, stamp]

English

Alternative spellings

• pigeon-hole
• pigeon hole

Etymology

From pigeon + hole.

Pronunciation

Noun

1. One of an array of compartments for sorting post, messages etc. at an office, or college (for example).

   Fred was disappointed at the lack of post in his pigeonhole.

2. A hole, or roosting place for pigeons.

Verb

1. To categorize; especially to limit or be limited to a particular category, role, etc.

   Fred was tired of being pigeonholed as a computer geek.

Related terms

• pigeonhole principle

See also

• cubbyhole

Pigeonhole may refer to:

• Pigeonholes, nesting spaces formed in a dovecote (also spelt dovecot or doocot)
• Pigeonhole, one of the boxes in a pigeon coop
• Pigeonhole principle, a mathematical principle
• Pigeonhole sort, a sorting algorithm
• Pigeonhole messagebox, a communication method
• Pigeonhole People, a Northern Territory indigenous (Australian Aboriginal) people

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