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Pigeonhole
01
a small compartment or niche used for sorting or storing items
What is a "pigeonhole"?
A pigeonhole is a small, open compartment or shelf, often part of a larger piece of furniture, used to store or organize items such as letters, documents, or small personal belongings. Pigeonholes are commonly found in offices, libraries, or mailrooms, where they help separate and sort items in a neat and accessible way. The compartments are typically arranged in rows or columns, allowing for easy identification and retrieval of stored items. Pigeonholes are designed to keep things organized and prevent clutter.
Example
The librarian placed the returned books in the appropriate pigeonholes to be reshelved.
The teacher collected the students ' assignments and placed them in their respective pigeonholes for grading.
She organized her paperwork by placing them in different pigeonholes labeled with categories.
02
a specific (often simplistic) category
to pigeonhole
01
treat or classify according to a mental stereotype
02
place into a small compartment
Example
The librarian placed the returned books in the appropriate pigeonholes to be reshelved.
The teacher collected the students' assignments and placed them in their respective pigeonholes for grading.
She organized her paperwork by placing them in different pigeonholes labeled with categories.
The mailroom had individual pigeonholes for each employee to receive their correspondence.
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