— stampable , adj. — stampless , adj.
/stamp/ , v.t.
1. to strike or beat with a forcible, downward thrust of the foot.
2. to bring (the foot) down forcibly or smartly on the ground, floor, etc.
3. to extinguish, crush, etc., by striking with a forcible downward thrust of the foot (fol. by out ): to stamp out a fire.
4. to suppress or quell (a rebellion, uprising, etc.) quickly through the use of overwhelming force (usually fol. by out ).
5. to crush or pound with or as with a pestle.
6. to impress with a particular mark or device, as to indicate genuineness, approval, or ownership: to stamp a document with a seal.
7. to mark or impress with a design, word, mark, etc.: Age stamped his face with lines.
8. to impress (a design, word, mark, etc.) on: to stamp one's initials on a document.
9. to affix a postage stamp to (a letter, envelope, etc.).
10. to characterize, distinguish, or reveal: His ingenuity with words stamped him as a potential poet.
v.i.
11. to bring the foot down forcibly or smartly, as in crushing something, expressing rage, etc.
12. to walk with forcible or heavy, resounding steps: He stamped out of the room in anger.
n.
13. See postage stamp .
14. an act or instance of stamping.
15. a die or block for impressing or imprinting.
16. a design or legend made with such a die or block.
17. an official mark indicating genuineness, validity, etc., or payment of a duty or charge.
18. a peculiar or distinctive impression or mark: a great man who left his stamp on legal procedure.
19. character, kind, or type: a woman of serious stamp.
20. an official seal or device appearing on a business or legal document to show that a tax has been paid.
21. Also called local, local stamp . such a device, often similar to a postage stamp, issued by a private organization to show that the charges for mail carrying have been paid.
22. See trading stamp .
23. See food stamp .
24. an instrument for stamping, crushing, or pounding.
25. a heavy piece of iron or the like, as in a stamp mill, for crushing ore or other material.
[ 1150-1200; (v.) early ME stampen to pound, crush, prob. continuing OE * stampian (c. MD, MLG stampen, OHG stampfon, ON stappa ); sense development appar. influenced by OF estamper to stamp estampe, deriv. of estamper ]
Syn. 4. eliminate, quash. See abolish .