stamp

/stæmp/

/stæmp/

Other forms: stamped; stamps; stamping

When you stamp, you step hard, either on the ground or on some object. If you're terrified of bugs, you might be tempted to stamp on a big, weird looking beetle.

You can stamp your foot when you're angry, or stamp out a small campfire after you've finished toasting marshmallows. Another way to stamp is to apply a mark or pattern to something — you might stamp your classmates' hands with ink as they enter the school dance, or stamp your return address onto an envelope. Stamp comes from Middle English, with a Germanic root — it's closely related to the German word stampfen, or "stamp with the foot."

Definitions of stamp

1. verb

   walk heavily
   synonyms: stomp, stump

   type of:

   walk

   use one's feet to advance; advance by steps
2. verb

   destroy or extinguish as if by stamping with the foot
   “Stamp fascism into submission”

   “stamp out tyranny”

   type of:

   extinguish, snuff out

   put an end to; kill
3. verb

   crush or grind with a heavy instrument
   type of:

   crush, mash, squash, squeeze, squelch

   compress with force, out of natural shape or condition
4. noun

   machine consisting of a heavy bar that moves vertically for pounding or crushing ores
   synonyms: pestle

   type of:

   machine

   any mechanical or electrical device that transmits or modifies energy to perform or assist in the performance of human tasks
5. verb

   to mark, or produce an imprint in or on something
   “a man whose name is permanently stamped on our maps”

   types:

   date, date stamp

   stamp with a date

   handstamp, rubberstamp

   stamp with a rubber stamp, usually an indication of official approval on a document

   frank, postmark

   stamp with a postmark to indicate date and time of mailing

   type of:

   impress, imprint

   mark or stamp with or as if with pressure
6. verb

   raise in a relief
   synonyms: boss, emboss

   types:

   block

   stamp or emboss a title or design on a book with a block

   type of:

   impress, imprint

   mark or stamp with or as if with pressure
7. noun

   a block or die used to imprint a mark or design
   type of:

   die

   a device used for shaping metal
8. noun

   a device incised to make an impression; used to secure a closing or to authenticate documents
   synonyms: seal

   types:

   bulla

   the round leaden seal affixed to a papal bull

   cachet

   a seal on a letter

   great seal

   the principal seal of a government, symbolizing authority or sovereignty

   handstamp, rubber stamp

   a stamp (usually made of rubber) for imprinting a mark or design by hand

   signet

   a seal (especially one used to mark documents officially)

   type of:

   device

   any ornamental pattern or design (as in embroidery)
9. noun

   a symbol that is the result of printing or engraving
   “he put his stamp on the envelope”

   synonyms: impression

   types:

   embossment, imprint

   an impression produced by pressure or printing

   seal

   a stamp affixed to a document (as to attest to its authenticity or to seal it)

   type of:

   symbol

   an arbitrary sign (written or printed) that has acquired a conventional significance
10. noun

    a type or class
    “more men of his stamp are needed”

    type of:

    category, class, family

    a collection of things sharing a common attribute
11. noun

    the distinctive form in which a thing is made
    synonyms: cast, mold, mould

    type of:

    solid

    a three-dimensional shape
12. verb

    reveal clearly as having a certain character
    “His playing stamps him as a Romantic”

    type of:

    characterise, characterize, qualify

    describe or portray the character or the qualities or peculiarities of
13. verb

    treat or classify according to a mental stereotype
    synonyms: pigeonhole, stereotype

    type of:

    assort, class, classify, separate, sort, sort out

    arrange or order by classes or categories
14. noun

    a small adhesive token stuck on a letter or package to indicate that that postal fees have been paid
    synonyms: postage, postage stamp

    type of:

    item, token

    an individual instance of a type of symbol
15. noun

    a small piece of adhesive paper that is put on an object to show that a government tax has been paid
    synonyms: revenue stamp

    type of:

    piece of paper, sheet, sheet of paper

    paper used for writing or printing
16. noun

    something that can be used as an official medium of payment
    synonyms: legal tender, tender

    types:

    food stamp

    a government-issued stamp that can be used in exchange for food

    type of:

    medium of exchange, monetary system

    anything that is generally accepted as a standard of value and a measure of wealth in a particular country or region
17. verb

    affix a stamp to
    “Are the letters properly stamped?”

    types:

    meter

    stamp with a meter indicating the postage

    type of:

    affix, stick on

    attach to
18. verb

    form or cut out with a mold, form, or die
    “stamp needles”

    type of:

    forge, form, mold, mould, shape, work

    make something, usually for a specific function