英和和英

名詞

special delivery (countable かつ uncountable, 複数形 special deliveries)

1. (uncountable, sometimes hyphenated when used attributively) A kind of postal service in which, for an extra fee, letters and packages are delivered in a highly expedited manner by a special courier.
   • 1910, O. Henry [pseudonym; William Sydney Porter], “Compliments of the Season”, in Strictly Business‎^[1]:

     The pick of the output of the French and German toymakers was rushed by special delivery to the mansion; but Rachel refused to be comforted.

   • 1919, Grace S. Richmond, "The Time of His Life" in The Brown Study:

     So, before he slept, he sent his sister a special-delivery letter knowing she would receive it in the morning.

   • 1922, Mary Roberts Rinehart, The Breaking Point, ch. 22:

     Then, as though he could hurry the trains East, he put a special delivery stamp on it.

2. (countable) A particular posted letter or package which is delivered in this manner; a particular act of conveying such letters or packages to one or more recipients.
   • 1922, F[rancis] Scott Fitzgerald, The Beautiful and Damned, New York, N.Y.: Charles Scribner’s Sons, OCLC 916056193, (please specify |book=1, 2, または 3):

     Late in the afternoon arrived a special delivery, mailed from some small New Jersey town.