postage stamp

¹

noun

1. a small gummed label issued by postal authorities that can be affixed to an envelope, postcard, or package as evidence that postal charges have been paid.

postage-stamp

²

[poh-stij-stamp]

adjective

Informal.

1. of very small area or size.

   a postage-stamp bikini.

postage stamp

noun

1. a printed paper label with a gummed back for attaching to mail as an official indication that the required postage has been paid

2. a mark directly printed or embossed on an envelope, postcard, etc, serving the same function

Word History and Origins

Origin of postage stamp¹

First recorded in 1830–40

Origin of postage stamp²

First recorded in 1960–65

Example Sentences

It was black and square— bigger than a postage stamp, smaller than a bar of soap.

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The idea for a commemorative postage stamp was suggested by sub-postmasters, and could help raise funds for Lost Chances and educational initiatives related to the scandal.

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By February the next year, she was appearing on postage stamps and attending banquets for top officials - described as Kim Jong Un's "respected" daughter.

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Artist Corita Kent, the former Los Angeles nun whose colorful works include the immensely popular “LOVE” postage stamp, died in her Boston home Thursday after a six-month battle against cancer.

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The company said it would switch its focus to parcel deliveries and that any postage stamps bought this year or in 2024 could be refunded for a limited period in 2026.

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