stamp

verb \ ˈstamp ; senses vt 2a & vi 2 are also ˈstämp or ˈstȯmp \

Updated on: 18 Apr 2018

Definition of stamp

transitive verb

1 : to pound or crush with a pestle or a heavy instrument

2 a (1) : to strike or beat forcibly with the bottom of the foot

(2) : to bring down (the foot) forcibly

b : to extinguish or destroy by or as if by stamping with the foot —usually used with out

stamp out cancer

3 a : impress, imprint

stamp "paid" on the bill

b : to attach a stamp to

4 : to cut out, bend, or form with a stamp or die

5 a : to provide with a distinctive character

stamped with a dreary, institutionalized look
—Bernard Taper

b : characterize

stamped as honest women
—W. M. Thackeray

intransitive verb

1 : pound 1

2 : to strike the foot forcibly or noisily downward

See stamp defined for English-language learners

See stamp defined for kids

Examples of stamp in a Sentence

He stamped his foot in anger.
He stamped out of the room.
She stamped the bill “paid.”

Recent Examples of stamp from the Web

Librarians will stamp the passport and give a small gift.

— Courant Community, "Community News For The Windsor Locks Edition," 10 Apr. 2018
Nearly 50 years later, William Howard Taft, another Republican president, stamped a formal presidential imprimatur on the game by throwing out the first ball at the Washington Senators' opener in 1910.

— chicagotribune.com, "Donald Trump's divisive decision to skip opening day," 5 Apr. 2018
There was no mention of Schwarzman’s name being stamped on the school, proudly or otherwise, when the district announced last month with great fanfare that the 1965 grad was donating millions to renovate the 1950s-era high school.

— kathy boccella, Philly.com, "Abington apologizes for mishandling of $25M donation that called for high school renaming," 3 Apr. 2018
Chris Fickett With a preposterous hail of three-pointers (18!), the most ever in a Final Four game, Villanova stamped an anticlimactic exclamation point on a season of wild emotional swings for Kansas.

— vahe gregorian, kansascity, "Final Four loss is the end for a KU team that was both overachieving and exasperating | The Kansas City Star," 31 Mar. 2018
No matter: the ’63 Loyola team stamped its legacy on college sports.

— sean gregory, Time, "How Loyola Chicago’s Basketball Team Shattered a Racial Barrier for Black Athletes 55 Years Ago," 30 Mar. 2018
And beneath downtown Phoenix's streets, miles of underground pipes carry cool air to the ever-growing cluster of high-rises stamped in the Phoenix skyline, reducing the number of heat-radiating air-conditioning units on those buildings' rooftops.

— joshua bowling, azcentral, "LA installs off-white streets to beat heat — could Phoenix be next?," 30 Mar. 2018
The collection also reinvented the Emporio Armani logo as a simple EA heat-stamped on suede purses, as dangling crystal amulets on jackets and subtly emblazoned on dresses.

— Washington Post, "End of the road for TommyXGigi, Dolce&Gabbana fly drones," 25 Feb. 2018
The collection also reinvented the Emporio Armani logo as a simple EA heat-stamped on suede purses, as dangling crystal amulets on jackets and subtly emblazoned on dresses.

— colleen barry, The Seattle Times, "Dolce & Gabbana send drones down runway," 25 Feb. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'stamp.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of stamp

Middle English; akin to Old High German stampfōn to stamp and perhaps to Greek stembein to shake up

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 13th century

in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

See Words from the same year

stamp Synonyms

stamp

noun

Definition of stamp

1 : a device or instrument for stamping

2 : the impression or mark made by stamping or imprinting

3 a : a distinctive character, indication, or mark

b : a lasting imprint

4 : the act of stamping

5 : a stamped or printed paper affixed in evidence that a tax has been paid; also : postage stamp

—

stampless

adjective

See stamp defined for English-language learners

Examples of stamp in a Sentence

There was a stamp on the letter showing the date when it was received.
a stamp left in the mud by some prehistoric beast

Recent Examples of stamp from the Web

Meetings of the full Supreme People’s Assembly are usually brief, once-a-year affairs intended to approve budgets, formalize personnel changes and rubber-stamp Kim’s policy priorities.

— Washington Post, "North Korea parliament to convene to approve national agenda," 11 Apr. 2018
Fill out your ballot, sign it and drop it in the mail with a first-class stamp.

— devin kelly, Anchorage Daily News, "The Anchorage election ends Tuesday, and some say turnout has been disappointing so far," 31 Mar. 2018
The creel limit for rainbow trout is five per day with no length restriction, and all anglers 16 and older who are not legally disabled must carry valid Illinois fishing licenses with inland trout stamps.

— michelle mullins, Naperville Sun, "Naperville News Digest," 30 Mar. 2018
Kim's visit comes just weeks after China's rubber-stamp parliament voted to abolish term limits, effectively allowing President Xi Jinping to rule the superpower indefinitely.

— NBC News, "Kim Jong Un met China's President Xi. What does it mean for the Trump summit?," 28 Mar. 2018
The 125-seat Mejlis is largely a rubber-stamp body for Berdymukhamedov, who as president since 2007 has established a personality cult that reaches all levels of society, styling him as the Arkadag (protector).

— Fox News, "Turkmenistan votes for rubber-stamp parliament," 25 Mar. 2018
The recent signing of this budget indicates that Scott gave his stamp of approval to a threefold increase in security funding from last year's allocation to insure that nonpublic school children at risk have a safe and secure education.

— sergio carmona, Jewish Journal, "South Florida Jewish schools grateful for increased security funding," 23 Mar. 2018
This year's session has been dominated by the rubber-stamp body's historic move on March 11 to scrap a constitutional two-term limit on the presidency dating from 1982, enabling Xi to rule indefinitely.

— gillian wong and christopher bodeen, chicagotribune.com, "Emboldened Xi Jinping vows to protect 'every inch' of China's territory in stark warning to Taiwan," 20 Mar. 2018
China’s rubber-stamp parliament is expected to overwhelmingly approve Xi’s appointment to a second five-year term on Saturday in Beijing.

— Bloomberg.com, "Xi Set for Second Term as China’s President, Cementing Power Push," 16 Mar. 2018

First Known Use of stamp

15th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

NEW! Time Traveler

stamp Synonyms

Synonyms

attribute, attribution, character, characteristic, criterion, differentia, feature, fingerprint, hallmark, mark, marker, note, particularity, peculiarity, point, property, quality, specific, touch, trait;

Related Words

badge, indication, sign;

emblem, symbol, token;

charm, grace;

excellence, merit, virtue;

eccentricity, idiosyncrasy, oddity, quirk;

individuality, singularity, uniqueness;

STAMP Defined for English Language Learners

stamp

verb

Definition of stamp for English Language Learners

: to bring (your foot) down heavily and noisily
: to walk heavily and noisily
: to use a special device (called a stamp) to put a design, word, etc., on something : to create a mark by pressing a special tool against a surface

stamp

noun

Definition of stamp for English Language Learners

: a small piece of paper that you buy and then stick to an envelope or package to pay the cost of mailing it
: a small piece of paper that is attached to something and that shows that a tax or fee has been paid
: a device or tool that is used to mark something (such as a piece of paper) with a design, pattern, word, etc., by being pushed against a surface : a device or tool used for stamping something

STAMP Defined for Kids

stamp

verb \ ˈstamp \

Definition of stamp for Students

stamped; stamping

1 : to bring the foot down hard and with noise

They all laughed and stamped and clapped their hands …
—J. R. R. Tolkien, The Hobbit

2 : to put an end to by or as if by hitting with the bottom of the foot

We stamped out the fire.

The mayor promised to stamp out crime.

3 : to mark or cut out with a tool or device having a design

The bill was stamped paid.

The mint stamps coins.

4 : to attach a postage stamp to

5 : characterize 1

Their acts stamped them as cowards.

stamp

noun

Definition of stamp for Students

1 : a small piece of paper or a mark attached to something to show that a tax or fee has been paid

a postage stamp

2 : a device or instrument for marking with a design

3 : the mark made by stamping

4 : a sign of a special quality

the stamp of genius

She gave the idea her stamp of approval.

5 : the act of bringing the foot down hard

Law Dictionary

stamp

noun

legal Definition of stamp

: an official mark or seal set on something (as a deed) chargeable with a government or state duty or tax or on papers requiring execution under certain conditions to signify that the duty or tax has been paid or the condition fulfilled; especially : revenue stamp