postage stamp

¹

noun

1. a small gummed label issued by postal authorities that can be affixed to an envelope, postcard, or package as evidence that postal charges have been paid.

postage-stamp

²

[poh-stij-stamp]

adjective

Informal.

1. of very small area or size.

   a postage-stamp bikini.

postage stamp

noun

1. a printed paper label with a gummed back for attaching to mail as an official indication that the required postage has been paid

2. a mark directly printed or embossed on an envelope, postcard, etc, serving the same function

Word History and Origins

Origin of postage stamp¹

First recorded in 1830–40

Origin of postage stamp²

First recorded in 1960–65

Example Sentences

By February the next year, she was appearing on postage stamps and attending banquets for top officials - described as Kim Jong Un's "respected" daughter.

From BBC

Artist Corita Kent, the former Los Angeles nun whose colorful works include the immensely popular “LOVE” postage stamp, died in her Boston home Thursday after a six-month battle against cancer.

From Los Angeles Times

The company said it would switch its focus to parcel deliveries and that any postage stamps bought this year or in 2024 could be refunded for a limited period in 2026.

From BBC

It is also smaller than other airports, such as nearby Dulles International Airport, with Mr Slack calling it a postage stamp.

From BBC

Rude gestures are rare on postage stamps, but Ukraine's best known stamp has one.

From BBC