food stamp

American  

[food stamp] / ˈfud ˌstæmp /

noun

• food stamps
  plural

1. any of the coupons formerly sold or given under a federal program to low-income Americans and redeemable for food, as at grocery stores or markets: replaced by electronically deposited benefits under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP.

---

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• food stamps
  plural

Etymology

Origin of food stamp

First recorded in 1935–40

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

food stamp

He thinks any near-term volatility related to concerns about food stamp disruption from the government shutdown is a buying opportunity, given Costco will likely be less impacted than other grocery-oriented retailers.

From Barron's ● Nov. 3, 2025

First, the food stamp program—formally the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP—had grown over the previous few years because Americans had been struggling through the Great Recession.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 29, 2025

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program's funding is mandatory, but food stamp benefits may be impacted by a shutdown.

From BBC ● Dec. 19, 2024

The recent food stamp backlog case was delayed for a year and a half because the court granted the state several stays to allow it to remedy the issues, according to the Alaska Beacon.

From Salon ● Jul. 24, 2024

Grinning, Amarante produced the food stamp book and, while Nick looked on incredulously, painstakingly tore out four one-dollar stamps which he laid carefully on the counter.

From "The Milagro Beanfield War" by John Nichols