stamp
Meaning: A small piece of paper showing postage has been paid; to mark with an official design
A stamp is a small piece of paper with an official design, stuck on a letter or parcel to show that postage has been paid. It can also refer to a device for making a mark by pressing on an inked surface, or the mark itself. As a verb, it means to bring one's foot down heavily or to mark with a stamp.
Examples
- Don't forget to put a stamp on the envelope before posting it. 投寄前别忘了在信封上贴邮票。No olvides poner un sello en el sobre antes de enviarlo.投函する前に封筒に切手を貼るのを忘れないでください。부치기 전에 봉투에 우표를 붙이는 것을 잊지 마세요.
- The passport officer stamped my visa. 护照官员在我的签证上盖了章。El oficial de pasaportes selló mi visa.パスポート係官が私のビザにスタンプを押しました。여권 심사관이 제 비자에 도장을 찍었습니다.
- She stamped her foot in frustration. 她沮丧地跺了跺脚。Ella pateó el suelo con frustración.彼女はイライラして足を踏み鳴らしました。그녀는 짜증이 나서 발을 구르며 내리찍었습니다.
Pronunciation
Usage Guide
Context: general
Tone: neutral
Origin & History
From Old English 'stempan' (to pound, stamp), from Proto-Germanic *stampōną (to stamp with the foot). The postage stamp sense came in 1840 with Britain's Penny Black, the world's first adhesive postage stamp.
Cultural Context
Era: Modern
Generation: All ages
Social background: Universal
Story & Trivia
The adhesive postage stamp was invented by Sir Rowland Hill in Britain in 1840. The first stamp, called the Penny Black, featured Queen Victoria's profile and revolutionised postal services worldwide.
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