stamp

English

Etymology

From Middle English stampen (“to pound, crush”), from assumed Old English *stampian, variant of Old English stempan (“to crush, pound, pound in mortar, stamp”), from Proto-West Germanic *stampōn, *stampijan, from Proto-Germanic *stampōną, *stampijaną (“to trample, beat”), from Proto-Indo-European *stemb- (“to trample down”).

Cognate with Dutch stampen (“to stamp, pitch”), German stampfen (“to stamp”), Danish stampe (“to stamp”), Swedish stampa (“to stomp”), Occitan estampar, Polish stąpać (“to step, treat”). See also stomp, step. Marks indicating that postage had been paid were originally made by stamping the item to be mailed; when affixed pieces of paper were introduced for this purpose, the term “stamp” was transferred to cover this new form.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /stæmp/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Audio (UK)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -æmp

Noun

stamp (plural stamps)

1. An act of stamping the foot, paw or hoof.

   The horse gave two quick stamps and rose up on its hind legs.

   • 1921 June, Margery Williams, “The Velveteen Rabbit: Or How Toys Become Real”, in Harper’s Bazar, volume LVI, number 6 (2504 overall), New York, N.Y.: International Magazine Company, →ISSN, →OCLC:

     Just then there was a sound of footsteps, and the Boy ran past near them, and with a stamp of feet and a flash of white tails the two strange rabbits disappeared.

2. An indentation, imprint, or mark made by stamping.

   My passport has quite a collection of stamps.

3. A device for stamping designs.

   She loved to make designs with her collection of stamps.

4. A small piece of paper, with a design and a face value, used to prepay postage or other dues such as tax or licence fees.

   I need one first-class stamp to send this letter.

   Now that commerce is done electronically, tax stamps are no longer issued here.

5. A small piece of paper bearing a design on one side and adhesive on the other, used to decorate letters or craft work.

   These stamps have a Christmas theme.

6. (slang, figuratively) A tattoo.
7. (slang) A single dose of lysergic acid diethylamide.
8. A kind of heavy pestle, raised by water or steam power, for crushing ores.
9. Cast; form; character; distinguishing mark or sign; evidence.

   the stamp of criminality

   • 1689, John Locke, An Essay Concerning Humane Understanding:

     It is trial and examination must give it price, and not any antique fashion; and though it be not yet current by the public stamp, yet it may, for all that, be as old as nature, and is certainly not the less genuine.

   • 1863, Sporting Magazine, volume 42, page 290:

     At a short distance from her were a pair of bathers of a very different stamp, if their operations deserved the name of bathing at all, viz., two girls on the confines of womanhood, presenting strong contrast to each other […]

   • 1902 February 28, “The Horse in South Africa”, in The Agricultural Journal and Mining Record‎, volume 4, number 26, page 828:

     Now, the horses at that period were all of a sturdy stamp […]

Synonyms

• (paper used to indicate payment has been paid): postage stamp, revenue stamp, tax stamp

Derived terms

Translations

Verb

stamp (third-person singular simple present stamps, present participle stamping, simple past and past participle stamped)

1. (intransitive) To step quickly and heavily, once or repeatedly.

   The toddler screamed and stamped, but still got no candy.

2. (transitive) To move (the foot or feet) quickly and heavily, once or repeatedly.

   The crowd cheered and stamped their feet in appreciation.

   • 2020, Salt Seno, translated by Amanda Haley, Heterogenia Linguistico: An Introduction to Interspecies Linguistics, page 40:

     The native peoples with vocal cords located in the respiratory organs initiate simple communication with slimes by stamping their feet.

3. (transitive) To strike, beat, or press forcibly with the bottom of the foot, or by thrusting the foot downward.
   • 1591 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The First Part of Henry the Sixt”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies  (First Folio), London: Isaac Iaggard, and Ed Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, :

     Vnder my feet I stampe thy Cardinalls Hat:

   • 1697, Virgil, “Palamon and Arcite”, in John Dryden, transl., The Works of Virgil: Containing His Pastorals, Georgics, and Æneis. , London: Jacob Tonson, , →OCLC:

     He frets, he fumes, he stares, he stamps the ground.

4. (transitive) To mark by pressing quickly and heavily.

   This machine stamps the metal cover with a design.

   This machine stamps the design into the metal cover.

5. (transitive) To give an official marking to, generally by impressing or imprinting a design or symbol.

   The immigration officer stamped my passport.

6. (transitive) To apply postage stamps to.

   I forgot to stamp this letter.

7. (transitive, figurative) To mark; to impress.
   • 1689 (indicated as 1690), [John Locke], An Essay Concerning Humane Understanding. , London: Eliz Holt, for Thomas Basset, , →OCLC:
     , Book IV, Chapter X

     God has stamped no original characters on our minds wherein we may read his being.

   • 2011 September 18, Ben Dirs, “Rugby World Cup 2011: England 41-10 Georgia”, in BBC Sport‎:

     England's superior conditioning began to show in the final quarter and as the game began to break up, their three-quarters began to stamp their authority on the game. And when Foden went on a mazy run from inside his own 22 and put Ashton in for a long-range try, any threat of an upset was when and truly snuffed out.

Conjugation

Synonyms

• (pressing with the foot): stomp
• (mark by pressing quickly and heavily): emboss, dent
• (give an official marking to): impress, imprint

Translations

Related terms

Anagrams

• tamps

Dutch

Pronunciation

• Audio

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɑmp

Verb

stamp

1. inflection of stampen:
   1. first-person singular present indicative
   2. imperative

Anagrams

• spamt

Icelandic

Pronunciation

• Rhymes: -am̥p

Noun

stamp

1. indefinite accusative singular of stampur

Norwegian Nynorsk

Verb

stamp

1. imperative of stampa

Swedish

Swedish Wikipedia has an article on:

stamp

Wikipedia ^sv

Noun

stamp n

1. stamping, stomping (from feet)

   Synonym: stampande

2. a stamp, a stomp (with the foot)

Declension

Related terms

• stampa

Noun

stamp c

1. a stamp, a pounder (in or of for example a stamp mill)
2. a tool for hole punching or imprinting in metal; a stamp, a die
3. (colloquial, almost always in the singular definite "stampen") a pawnshop

   Synonym: pantbank

Declension

Derived terms

• myntstamp (“coin die”)
• sigillstamp (“seal stamp”)

Related terms

• stampa

See also

• stämpel (ink or dye stamps)
• stans

References

• stamp in Svensk ordbok (SO)
• stamp in Svenska Akademiens ordlista (SAOL)
• stamp in Svenska Akademiens ordbok (SAOB)

Welsh

Etymology

From English stamp.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /sdamp/,
• Rhymes: -amp

Noun

stamp m or f (plural stampiau or stamps, not mutable)

1. stamp (for postage, validation on a document, evidence of payment, etc.)

Derived terms

• stampio (“to stamp”)

Further reading

• R. J. Thomas, G. A. Bevan, P. J. Donovan, A. Hawke et al., editors (1950–present), “stamp”, in Geiriadur Prifysgol Cymru Online (in Welsh), University of Wales Centre for Advanced Welsh & Celtic Studies