stæmp v. & n. --v. 1 a tr.
bring down (one's foot) heavily on
the ground etc. b tr.
crush,
flatten, or bring
into a specified
state in
this way (stamped down the
earth round the plant). c intr. bring down one's
foot heavily;
walk with heavy steps. 2 tr. a impress (a
pattern, mark, etc.) on
metal,
paper,
butter,
etc., with a die or
similar instrument of metal,
wood, rubber, etc. b impress (a surface) with a pattern etc. in this way. 3 tr.
affix a
postage or
other stamp to (an
envelope or document). 4 tr.
assign a
specific character to;
characterize; mark
out (stamps the story an invention). 5 tr. crush or
pulverize (ore etc.). --n. 1 an instrument
for stamping a pattern or mark. 2 a a mark or pattern
made by this. b the
impression of an
official mark required to be made for
revenue purposes on deeds, bills of
exchange, etc., as
evidence of
payment of
tax. 3 a
small adhesive piece of paper indicating
that a
price,
fee, or tax
has been paid,
esp. a postage stamp. 4 a mark impressed on or
label etc. affixed to a
commodity as evidence of
quality etc. 5 a a heavy
downward blow with the foot. b the
sound of this. 6 a a
characteristic mark or impress (bears the stamp of genius). b character, kind (avoid
people of that stamp). 7 the
block that crushes
ore in a stamp-mill. øStamp
Act an act
concerned with stamp-duty, esp. that
imposing the
duty on the
American colonies in 1765
and repealed in 1766. stamp-collecting the collecting of postage stamps as objects of
interest or
value. stamp-collector a
person engaged in stamp-collecting. stamp-duty a duty imposed on
certain kinds of
legal document. stamp-hinge see
HINGE. stamping-ground a
favourite haunt or
place of
action. stamp-machine a coin-operated
machine for selling postage stamps. stamp-mill a mill for crushing ore etc. stamp-office an
office for the
issue of
government stamps and the
receipt of stamp-duty etc. stamp on 1 impress (an
idea etc.) on (the
memory etc.). 2
suppress. stamp out 1
produce by
cutting out with a die etc. 2 put an
end to, crush,
destroy. stamp-paper 1 paper with the government revenue stamp. 2 the gummed
marginal paper of a sheet of postage stamps. øøstamper n. [prob. f. OE stampian (v.) (unrecorded) f. Gmc: infl. by OF estamper (v.) and F estampe (n.)
also f. Gmc]