philately
- the collecting of stamps and other postal matter as a hobby or an investment.
- the study of postage stamps, revenue stamps, stamped envelopes, postmarks, postal cards, covers, and similar material relating to postal or fiscal history.
Origin of philately
Examples from the Web for philatelist
Historical Examples
It may have been an error but it troubled no one but the philatelist.
Canada: Its Postage Stamps and Postal StationeryClifton Armstrong Howes
Some people irreverently style it "the Philatelist's Bible."
Stamp Collecting as a PastimeEdward J. Nankivell
This Work is intended to fill a void which has hitherto existed in the Philatelist's Library.
Stamp Collecting as a PastimeEdward J. Nankivell
It was satirized and laughed at by all, and a contemporary criticism, which has been reproduced in The Philatelist, vol.
Was it published when you went to Ghana that you were a philatelist?
Warren Commission (9 of 26): Hearings Vol. IX (of 15)The President's Commission on the Assassination of President Kennedy
philately
- the collection and study of postage stamps and all related material concerned with postal history
Word Origin
Word Origin and History for philatelist
philately
n.
"stamp-collecting," 1865, from French philatélie, coined by French stamp collector Georges Herpin (in "Le Collectionneur de Timbres-poste," Nov. 15, 1864), from Greek phil- "loving" (see philo-) + ateleia "exemption from tax," the closest word Herpin could find in ancient Greek to the concept of "postage stamp" (from a- "without" + telos "tax;" see toll (n.)). A reminder of the original function of postage stamps, now often forgotten: the cost of letter-carrying formerly was paid by the recipient; stamps indicated it had been pre-paid by the sender, thus the letters were "carriage-free."
It is a pity that for one of the most popular scientific pursuits one of the least popularly intelligible names should have been found. [Fowler]
Related: Philatelic; philatelism; philatelist.