n.
Pronunciation: f ə - ' la-t ə -l ē
Function: noun
Etymology: French philatélie, from phil- + Greek ateleia tax exemption, from atel ē s free from tax, from a- + telos tax; perhaps akin to Greek tl ē nai to bear; from the fact that a stamped letter frees the recipient from paying the mailing charges ― more at TOLERATE
Date: circa 1865
: the collection and study of postage and imprinted stamps : stamp collecting
– phil · a · tel · ic \ ˌ fi-l ə - ' te-lik \ adjective
– phil · a · tel · i · cal · ly \ -li-k( ə -)l ē \ adverb