From Middle English stampen, from assumed Old English *stampian, variant of Old English stempan, from Proto-West Germanic *stampōn, *stampijan, from Proto-Germanic *stampōną, *stampijaną ("to trample, beat"), from Proto-Indo-European *stemb-.

• IPA: /stæmp/

stamp (plural stamps)

1. An act of stamping the foot, paw or hoof.

   The horse gave two quick stamps and rose up on its hind legs.

   • 1921 June, Margery Williams, “The Velveteen Rabbit: Or How Toys Become Real”, in Harper's Bazar, volume LVI, number 6 (2504 overall), New York, N.Y.: International Magazine Company, →ISSN ↗, →OCLC ↗:

     Just then there was a sound of footsteps, and the Boy ran past near them, and with a stamp of feet and a flash of white tails the two strange rabbits disappeared.

2. An indentation, imprint, or mark made by stamping.

   My passport has quite a collection of stamps.

3. A device for stamping designs.

   She loved to make designs with her collection of stamps.

4. A small piece of paper, with a design and a face value, used to prepay postage or other dues such as tax or licence fees.

   I need one first-class stamp to send this letter.

   Now that commerce is done electronically, tax stamps are no longer issued here.

5. A small piece of paper bearing a design on one side and adhesive on the other, used to decorate letters or craft work.

   These stamps have a Christmas theme.

6. (slang, figuratively) A tattoo.
7. (slang) A single dose of lysergic acid diethylamide.
8. A kind of heavy pestle, raised by water or steam power, for crushing ores.
9. Cast; form; character; distinguishing mark or sign; evidence.

   the stamp of criminality

   • 1689, John Locke, An Essay Concerning Humane Understanding:

     It is trial and examination must give it price, and not any antique fashion; and though it be not yet current by the public stamp, yet it may, for all that, be as old as nature, and is certainly not the less genuine.

   • 1863, Sporting Magazine, volume 42, page 290:

     At a short distance from her were a pair of bathers of a very different stamp, if their operations deserved the name of bathing at all, viz., two girls on the confines of womanhood, presenting strong contrast to each other […]

• (paper used to indicate payment has been paid) postage stamp, revenue stamp, tax stamp

• German: stampfen
• Italian: conio
• Portuguese: pisada
• Russian: печа́ть
• Spanish: estampado

• French: cachet
• German: Stempel
• Italian: bollo
• Portuguese: carimbo
• Russian: штамп
• Spanish: sello

• French: cachet, tampon
• German: Stempel
• Italian: conio
• Portuguese: carimbo
• Russian: штамп
• Spanish: sello

• French: timbre
• Italian: bollo
• Portuguese: adesivo
• Russian: накле́йка
• Spanish: sello

stamp (stamps, present participle stamping; simple past and past participle stamped)

1. (intransitive) To step quickly and heavily, once or repeatedly.

   The toddler screamed and stamped, but still got no candy.

2. (transitive) To move (the foot or feet) quickly and heavily, once or repeatedly.

   The crowd cheered and stamped their feet in appreciation.

3. (transitive) To strike, beat, or press forcibly with the bottom of the foot, or by thrusting the foot downward.
   • 1591 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The First Part of Henry the Sixt”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC ↗, [Act I, scene iii]:

     Vnder my feet I stampe thy Cardinalls Hat:

   • 1697, Virgil, “Palamon and Arcite”, in John Dryden, transl., The Works of Virgil: Containing His Pastorals, Georgics, and Æneis. […], London: […] Jacob Tonson, […], →OCLC ↗:

     He frets, he fumes, he stares, he stamps the ground.

4. (transitive) To mark by pressing quickly and heavily.

   This machine stamps the metal cover with a design.

   This machine stamps the design into the metal cover.

5. (transitive) To give an official marking to, generally by impressing or imprinting a design or symbol.

   The immigration officer stamped my passport.

6. (transitive) To apply postage stamps to.

   I forgot to stamp this letter.

7. (transitive, figurative) To mark; to impress.
   • 1689 (indicated as 1690), [John Locke], An Essay Concerning Humane Understanding. […], London: […] Eliz[abeth] Holt, for Thomas Basset, […], →OCLC ↗:
     , Book IV, Chapter X

     God […] has stamped no original characters on our minds wherein we may read his being.

• (pressing with the foot) stomp
• (mark by pressing quickly and heavily) emboss, dent
• (give an official marking to) impress, imprint

• French: taper du pied
• Italian: battere i piedi
• Russian: то́пать

• French: taper (du pied)
• Italian: battere i piedi
• Russian: то́пать

• Italian: pestare i piedi
• Russian: топтать

• French: estamper
• Italian: stampare
• Portuguese: timbrar, estampar
• Russian: штамповать

• French: tamponner, estampiller
• German: stempeln
• Italian: timbrare
• Portuguese: timbrar, carimbar
• Spanish: timbrar

• French: timbrer, affranchir
• German: freimachen
• Italian: affrancare
• Portuguese: selar
• Spanish: franquear

1. Surname.