Read along with the three podcasts, or open the full dictionary entry for Postcard for the definition, Arabic meaning, synonyms and example sentences.
Narrator: Today's word is "Postcard" — noun, pronounced /ˈpəʊstkɑːd/, with the stress on "post".
Narrator: A postcard is a small card with a picture on one side and a message and address on the other, sent by post.
Narrator: In plain English, a postcard is the picture card you send from your holiday, with a short note on the back.
Narrator: It is a compound of post, the mail, and card, a stiff piece of paper, so literally a card sent by post.
Narrator: "Sending a postcard" describes posting a picture card with a holiday greeting to family or friends.
Narrator: It differs from a letter because a postcard is short, open and has a picture, whereas a letter is longer and sealed in an envelope.
Narrator: "A picture postcard" is a phrase for a postcard with a scenic photo, and figuratively for a place that looks perfectly pretty.
Narrator: Travel, tourism, collecting, art and personal correspondence all rely on the word postcard.
Narrator: So remember: a postcard is a picture card sent by post, from post plus card.
Speaker A: Does anyone still send postcards? They seem a bit old-fashioned now.
Speaker B: Fewer, but some do! POSTCARD joins post, the mail, with card, and it's a small picture card with a message on the back, still a lovely holiday tradition.
Speaker A: So it's like a mini letter with a photo?
Speaker B: Exactly — short and sweet!
Speaker A: Example sentences?
Speaker B: "She sent a postcard from Spain"; "the village is picture postcard"; "he collects vintage postcards" — a message, a compliment, and a hobby.
Speaker A: Common mistakes?
Speaker B: Do not write private details on a postcard, since the message is open for anyone to read; and the plural is postcards, with no double letter.
Speaker A: Close relatives?
Speaker B: "Letter" the longer cousin, "greeting card" the occasion twin, "souvenir" the keepsake alternative. The postcard keeps its picture-perfect charm!
Speaker B: Let's use "postcard" in AI prompts — useful for travel apps and design tools.
Speaker A: So a prompt could write a postcard message?
Speaker B: Right. For a travel app, you'd write:
Prompt: Write a short, cheerful postcard message from a beach holiday, naming two sights and the weather in under forty words.
Speaker A: How about a design tool?
Speaker B: Ask the model to suggest a layout:
Prompt: Suggest a layout for a tourist postcard, naming where the photo, stamp and message should sit.
Speaker A: Could it help with a history app?
Speaker B: Yes, you can trace the origin:
Prompt: Describe in two sentences when the first picture postcards were sent and what made them popular.
Speaker A: One more?
Speaker B: For a school app, try this:
Prompt: Write a short lesson idea in which children design a postcard from a historical event, naming one fact they must include.
Postcard — meaning in Arabic & definition More P courses GL Dictionary