noun
express messenger; courier
Historical term for a professional runner who carried letters and packages in pre-modern Japan. Not used for modern postal workers.
江戸時代には飛脚が手紙を運んだ。
During the Edo period, express messengers carried letters.
Modern term for a mail carrier; 飛脚 is historical and not used for contemporary postal workers.
Compound of 飛 (hi, 'flying') and 脚 (kyaku, 'legs'), referring to a fast-running messenger.