precancel

American  

[pree-kan-suhl] / priˈkæn səl /

verb (used with object)

precanceled, precanceling, precancelled, precancelling

1. to cancel (a stamp) before placing it on a piece of postal matter.

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noun

1. a precanceled stamp.

precancel British  

/ priːˈkænsəl /

verb

1. (tr) to cancel (postage stamps) before placing them on mail

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noun

1. a precancelled stamp

Other Word Forms

• precancellation
  noun

Etymology

Origin of precancel

First recorded in 1920–25; pre- + cancel

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

precanceled precancelled

Disney+ recently precanceled its already-made children’s fantasy adaptation, “The Spiderwick Chronicles.”

From New York Times ● Sep. 8, 2023

Evidently considerable mail is sent out under this method for the precancelled stamps are fairly common.

From Canada: Its Postage Stamps and Postal Stationery by Howes, Clifton Armstrong

As requisitions for precancelled stamps necessarily take longer to fill than the ordinary, postmasters are expected to send requisitions for them to the Department a few days in advance of actual needs.

From Canada: Its Postage Stamps and Postal Stationery by Howes, Clifton Armstrong

In 1904 precancelled stamps began to appear with the town name and that of the province, separated by two horizontal bars.

From Canada: Its Postage Stamps and Postal Stationery by Howes, Clifton Armstrong