surface mail

surface mail (uncountable)

1. (retronym) Mail which is transported by motor vehicle, by railway, or by seacraft, but not by aircraft.
   • 1971 October 8, “‘Mail early’ message sent”, in The Montreal Gazette, retrieved 29 March 2013, page 12:

     All Christmas cards for overseas delivery must be sealed and may travel either by surface mail at an eight-cent rate or by air mail at 12 cents.

   • 1981 September 16, “Around the World: Israeli-Egyptian Talks On Links Near an End”, in New York Times, retrieved 22 March 2013:

     [M]embers of the joint committee on communications also decided to improve postal service between Israel and Egypt to include surface mail in addition to air mail deliveries.

• “surface mail”, in OneLook Dictionary Search.