stamp

[[t]stæ̱mp[/t]]

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stamps, stamping, stamped

1) N-COUNT A stamp or a postage stamp is a small piece of paper which you lick and stick on an envelope or package before you post it to pay for the cost of the postage.

→ See also food stamp

...a book of stamps...

It's FREEPOST, so there's no need for a stamp.

...two first class stamps.

2) N-COUNT A stamp is a small block of wood or metal which has a pattern or a group of letters on one side. You press it onto an pad of ink and then onto a piece of paper in order to produce a mark on the paper. The mark that you produce is also called a stamp.

...a date stamp and an ink pad...

You may live only where the stamp in your passport says you may.

3) VERB If you stamp a mark or word on an object, you press the mark or word onto the object using a stamp or other device.

[V n prep] Car manufacturers stamp a vehicle identification number at several places on new cars to help track down stolen vehicles...

[V n prep] In a department store when a gift voucher is exchanged it's stamped with the details of the store to cancel it...

[V n prep] `Eat before JULY 14' was stamped on the label.

4) VERB If you stamp or stamp your foot, you lift your foot and put it down very hard on the ground, for example because you are angry or because your feet are cold.

Often he teased me till my temper went and I stamped and screamed, feeling furiously helpless...

[V adv/prep] His foot stamped down on the accelerator...

[V n prep/adv] She stamped her feet on the pavement to keep out the cold. [Also V n]

N-COUNT: usu sing

Stamp is also a noun.

...hearing the creak of a door and the stamp of cold feet.

5) VERB If you stamp somewhere, you walk there putting your feet down very hard on the ground because you are angry.

[V prep/adv] `I'm going before things get any worse!' he shouted as he stamped out of the bedroom...

[V prep/adv] Overweight and sweating in the humid weather, she stamped from room to room.

Syn:

stomp

6) VERB If you stamp on something, you put your foot down on it very hard.

[V on n] He received the original ban last week after stamping on the referee's foot during the supercup final.

Syn:

trample

7) N-SING: usu the N of n If something bears the stamp of a particular quality or person, it clearly has that quality or was done by that person.

...lawns and flowerbeds that bore the stamp of years of confident care...

Most of us want to make our home a familiar place and put the stamp of our personality on its walls.

Syn:

hallmark, mark

8) VERB A quality, feature, or action that stamps someone or something as a particular thing shows clearly that they are this thing.

[V n as n] I talked to social workers and the police - that had stamped me as a bad woman...

[V pron-refl as n] Chris Boardman stamped himself as the 4,000m favourite by setting the world's fastest outdoor time in Barcelona last night.

Syn:

brand, mark

9) → See also rubber stamp

stamp of approval → see approval

Phrasal Verbs:

- stamp out

- stamp on