A pigeon-hole messagebox (commonly referred to as a pigeon-hole or pidge, a cubbyhole (often shortened to "cubby") or simply as a mailbox in some academic or office settings) is a device for communication

Communication

Communication is the activity of conveying meaningful information. Communication requires a sender, a message, and an intended recipient, although the receiver need not be present or aware of the sender's intent to communicate at the time of communication; thus communication can occur across vast...

 commonly used in organisations, workplaces and educational institutes in the United Kingdom

United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...

 and other countries. Documents and messages are placed in a person's pigeon-hole for them to collect; they can reply by putting a response inside the sender's pigeon-hole.

The name comes from the similarity in appearance to the compartments used in pigeon racing

Pigeon racing

Pigeon racing is the sport of releasing specially trained racing pigeons, which then return to their homes over a carefully measured distance...

 to store the animals whilst in transit.

Cubbies are also used in American

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 preschools and kindergarten

Kindergarten

A kindergarten is a preschool educational institution for children. The term was created by Friedrich Fröbel for the play and activity institute that he created in 1837 in Bad Blankenburg as a social experience for children for their transition from home to school...

s as places to store backpacks, lunchboxes, and jacket

Jacket

A jacket is a hip- or waist-length garment for the upper body. A jacket typically has sleeves, and fastens in the front. A jacket is generally lighter, tighter-fitting, and less insulating than a coat, which is outerwear...

s.