thin

From Middle English thinne, thünne, thenne, from Old English þynne, from Proto-West Germanic *þunnī, from Proto-Germanic *þunnuz (“thin”) – compare *þanjaną (“to stretch, spread out”) – from Proto-Indo-European *ténh₂us (“thin”), from *ten- (“to stretch”).
Cognate with German dünn, Dutch dun, West Frisian tin, Icelandic þunnur, Danish tynd, Swedish tunn, Latin tenuis, Irish tanaí, Welsh tenau, Latvian tievs, Polish cienki, Russian тонкий (tonkij), Sanskrit तनु (tanú, “thin”), Persian تنگ (tang, “narrow”). Doublet of tenuis. Also related to tenuous.

(philately) A loss or tearing of paper from the back of a stamp, although not sufficient to create a complete hole.


approval

en-noun

approval (countable and uncountable, plural approvals)

authorization

in some legal contexts, authorization is different from approval

(especially philately) Something mailed by a seller to a collector to match their stated interests; the collector can approve of or return the item.

시제품

(chiefly philately) item sent to a collector


MS

MS (countable and uncountable, plural MSes)


PB

PB (countable and uncountable, plural PBs)


MX

MX (countable and uncountable, plural MXs)

(philately) on early British stamps, Maltese Cross cancellation mark.


AR

AR (countable and uncountable, plural ARs)

(philately, postal) Initialism of acknowledgment of receipt.


strike

→ Danish: strike

→ Dutch: strike

→ French: strike

→ German: Strike

→ Italian: strike

→ Japanese: ストライク (sutoraiku)

→ Korean: 스트라이크 (seuteuraikeu)

→ Portuguese: strike

→ Russian: страйк (strajk)

→ Spanish: strike

→ Swedish: strike

→ Danish: strejke

→ Esperanto: striko

→ Hungarian: sztrájk

→ Japanese: ストライキ (sutoraiki)

desctree

→ German: Streik, Strike (obsolete, 19th c.)
→ Kashubian: sztrajk
→ Macedonian: штрајк (štrajk)
→ Serbo-Croatian: štrȁjk /штра̏јк
→ Slovak: štrajk

→ Polish: strajk
→ Belarusian: страйк (strajk)
→ Ukrainian: страйк (strajk)

→ Swedish: strejk

→ Welsh: streic

From Middle English stryken, from Old English strīcan, from Proto-West Germanic *strīkan, from Proto-Germanic *strīkaną, from Proto-Indo-European *streyg- (“to stroke, rub, press”).
Cognate with Dutch strijken, German streichen, Danish stryge, Icelandic strýkja, strýkva.


cover

en-noun

cover (countable and uncountable, plural covers)

→ Hijazi Arabic: كَڤَر (kavar)

→ Portuguese: cover

Etymology tree
Proto-Indo-European *ḱe-?
Proto-Indo-European *ḱóm
Proto-Italic *kom
Old Latin com
Latin cum
Latin con-
Proto-Indo-European *h₁epi
Proto-Indo-European *h₂wer-
Proto-Indo-European *-yeti
Latin operiō
Latin cooperiō
Old French covrirbor.
Middle English coveren
English cover
From Middle English coveren, borrowed from Old French covrir, cueuvrir (modern French couvrir), from Late Latin coperire, from Latin cooperiō (“I cover completely”), from co- (intensive prefix) + operiō (“I close, cover”). Displaced native Middle English thecchen and bethecchen (“to cover”) (from Old English þeccan, beþeccan (“to cover”)), Middle English helen, (over)helen, (for)helen (“to cover, conceal”) (from Old English helan (“to conceal, cover, hide”)), Middle English wrien, (be)wreon (“to cover”) (from Old English (be)wrēon (“to cover”)), Middle English hodren, hothren (“to cover up”) (from Low German hudren (“to cover up”)).
According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the original sense of the verb and noun cover was “hide from view” as in its cognate covert. Except in the limited sense of “cover again”, the word recover is unrelated and is cognate with recuperate. Cognate with Spanish cubrir (“to cover”).

cog

throw nickels around like manhole covers

(philately) An envelope complete with stamps and postmarks etc.


plate

en-verb

plate (third-person singular simple present plates, present participle plating, simple past and past participle plated)

plates (present singular third-person)
plating (participle present)
plated (participle past)
plated (past)

From Middle English platen, from Old English platian and Old French plater, both ultimately from Latin plata (see above).

(philately) to categorise stamps based on their position on the original sheet, in order to reconstruct an entire sheet.

(philately, particularly with early British stamps) To identify the printing plate used.


mint

From Middle English mynt, münet (“money, coin”), from Old English mynet (“coin”), from late Proto-West Germanic *munit, from Latin monēta (“place for making coins, coined money”), from the temple of Juno Moneta (named for Monēta mother of the Muses), where coins were made. Doublet of money and manat. The verb is from the noun; Old English mynetian (“to mint”) is a parallel formation.

der

(philately) Unused with original gum; as issued originally.


Sc

(philately, chiefly US/Canada) The Scott catalogue of stamp values.


omnibus

en-noun

omnibus (plural omnibuses or omnibusses or (nonstandard) omnibi)

omnibuses (plural)
omnibusses (plural)
omnibi (nonstandard plural)

Borrowed from French (voiture) omnibus (“(carriage) for all”), from Latin omnibus (“for all”), dative plural of omnis (“all”).

bor+

[M]any of the African nations issuing the World Cup stamps have pandered to international collectors, with some stamps not even sold in the country of issue. These ‘omnibus’ stamps featured topics and individuals with no links to the issuing country. African stamps displaying Disney themes, Princess Diana, Michael Jackson and Sylvester Stallone all belong to this category.

2013, Agbenyega Adedze, “Visualizing the Game: The Iconography of Football on African Postage Stamps”, in Susann Baller, Giorgio Miescher, Ciraj Rassool, editors, Global Perspectives on Football in Africa: Visualising the Game (Sport in the Global Society: Contemporary Perspectives), Abingdon, Oxon., New York, N.Y.: Routledge, →ISBN, page 163:

(philately) A stamp issue, usually commemorative, that appears simultaneously in several countries as a joint issue.


rust

en-noun

rust (countable and uncountable, plural rusts)

From Middle English rust, rost, roust, from Old English rust, rūst (“rust”), from Proto-West Germanic *rust, from Proto-Germanic *rustaz (“rust”), from Proto-Indo-European *rudʰso- (“red”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₁rewdʰ- (“red”).
Cognate with Scots roust (“rust”), Saterland Frisian rust (“rust”), West Frisian roast (“rust”), Dutch roest (“rust”), German Rost (“rust”), Danish rust (“rust”), Swedish rost (“rust”), Norwegian rust, ryst (“rust”), Finnish ruoste, Estonian rooste. Related to red.

ҡыҙғылт көрән

qıźğılt körən

front-runner-itis runs: rust: myrtle rust

(philately) Damage caused to stamps and album pages by a fungal infection.


killer

killer (countable and uncountable, plural killers)

→ German: Killer

→ Italian: killer

→ Japanese: キラー (kirā)

→ Russian: ки́ллер (kíller)

From Middle English killer, kyller. By surface analysis, kill + -er.

(philately) A particularly heavy type of handstamp, or portion of one, often obscuring a large part of the postage stamp.


entire

entire (countable and uncountable, plural entires)

entires (plural)
intire (alternative obsolete)

From Middle English entere, enter, borrowed from Anglo-Norman entier, from Latin integrum, accusative of integer (“whole”), from Proto-Italic *əntagros (“untouched”). Doublet of entier and integer.

(philately) A complete envelope with stamps and all official markings: (prior to the use of envelopes) a page folded and posted.


wallpaper

wallpaper (countable and uncountable, plural wallpapers)

(philately, informal) Gaudy mass-produced stamps, typically of little or no value and only produced for sale to collectors.


essay

Since late 16th century, borrowed from Middle French essay, essai (“essay”), meaning coined by Montaigne in the same time, from the same words in earlier meanings 'experiment; assay; attempt', from Old French essay, essai, assay, assai, from Latin exagium (“weight; weighing, testing on the balance”), from exigere + -ium.

der

(philately, finance) A proposed design for a postage stamp or a banknote.


duplex

PIE word
 *dwóh₁
Borrowed from Latin duplex (“double, two-fold”), from duo (“two”) + plico (“fold together”); compare the roots of διπλόος (diplóos, “double”); compare also πλέκω (plékō, “twist, braid”). By surface analysis, duo- + -plex.

(philately) A cancellation combining a numerical cancellation with a second mark showing time, date, and place of posting.


obliterate

en-verb

obliterate (third-person singular simple present obliterates, present participle obliterating, simple past and past participle obliterated)

obliterates (present singular third-person)
obliterating (participle present)
obliterated (participle past)
obliterated (past)
obliterate (infinitive)
obliterate (first-person present singular)
obliterated (first-person past singular)
obliterate (present second-person singular)
obliteratest (archaic present second-person singular)
obliterated (past second-person singular)
obliteratedst (archaic past second-person singular)
obliterates (present singular third-person)
obliterateth (archaic present singular third-person)
obliterated (past singular third-person)
obliterate (plural present)
obliterated (past plural)
obliterate (present subjunctive)
obliterated (past subjunctive)
obliterate (imperative present)
obliterating (participle present)
obliterated (participle past)

PIE word
 *h₁epi
(start of 17th century) From earlier obliterat, learned borrowing from Latin obliterātus, oblitterātus (“having been blotted out, effaced, erased; having been forgotten”) (see -ate (verb-forming suffix, of participial origin)). Obliterātus and oblitterātus are respectively the perfect passive participles of obliterō and oblitterō (“to blot out, efface, erase, obliterate; to cause to be forgotten”), probably either:
* from ob- (prefix meaning ‘against; towards’) + littera (“letter of the alphabet; (metonymically) handwriting”) (further etymology unknown); or
* from oblītus (“disregarded, neglected; forgotten”), influenced by littera. Oblītus is the perfect passive participle of oblinō (“to daub over, besmear”), from ob- + possibly ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₁lengʷʰ- (“not heavy, light; brief; swift”).
Cognates
* Catalan obliterar (“to erase; to cancel (a stamp); to close up or fill (a body cavity, vessel, etc.)”)
* Middle French oblitérer (modern French oblitérer (“to cause (memories) to fade; to block, obstruct; to cancel (a stamp, ticket, etc.) so it cannot be reused”))
* Portuguese obliterar (“to destroy completely; to erase”)
* Spanish obliterar (“to destroy completely; to erase”)

cog

/əˈblɪtəˌɹeɪt/

obliterar

to impair the function and/or structure of (a body cavity, vessel, etc.) by ablating or occluding it

(philately) To cancel (a postage stamp) with a postmark so it cannot be reused.


block

→ Dutch: block

→ German: Block

→ Irish: bloc

→ Manx: block

→ Maori: poraka

→ Norwegian: blokk

→ Polish: blok

desctree

→ Russian: блок (blok)
→ Armenian: բլոկ (blok)
→ Yakut: блок (blok)

→ Spanish: block

→ Vietnamese: lốc

From Middle English blok (“log, stump, solid piece”), from Old French bloc (“log, block”), from Middle Dutch blok (“treetrunk”), from Old Dutch *blok (“log”), from Proto-West Germanic *blokk, from Proto-Germanic *blukką (“beam, log”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰelǵ- (“thick plank, beam, pile, prop”). Cognate with Old Frisian blok, Old Saxon blok, Old High German bloh, bloc (“block”), Old English bolca (“gangway of a ship, plank”), Old Norse bǫlkr (“divider, partition”). More at balk. See also bloc, bulk.

طَابُوقَة

substantial often approximately cuboid piece

թաղամաս

group of buildings demarcated by streets

A physical area or extent of something, often rectangular or approximately rectangular.

(philately) A joined group of four (or in some cases nine) postage stamps, forming a roughly square shape.

neliö

philately: joined group of stamps, forming square


cachet

en-noun

cachet (countable and uncountable, plural cachets)

Borrowed from French cachet, first appearing in Scottish English, from 1630.

The Alcatraz pelican cachet turned out to have a unique history of its own which had been lost over the years. Master cachet designer and artist John Coulthard (1903-1966) of 17 Elm Street Modesto, California, was the creator of the stamp.

2011, Jerry Lewis Champion Jr., The Fading Voices of Alcatraz, page 160:

(philately) A commemorative stamped design or inscription on an envelope, other than a cancellation or pre-printed postage.


cachet

en-verb

cachet (third-person singular simple present cachets, present participle cacheting, simple past and past participle cacheted)

cachets (present singular third-person)
cacheting (participle present)
cacheted (participle past)
cacheted (past)

(transitive, philately) To mark (an envelope) with a commemorative stamped design or inscription.


Cinderella

Cinderellas (plural)
cinderella (alternative)

/ˌsɪndəˈɹɛlə/

From cinder + -ella, as in little cinder girl. Compare French Cendrillon.

(philately) A stamp or stamp-like label issued for purposes other than postal administration, not issued by a central government, or not listed in most general catalogues.


frame

→ Korean: 프레임 (peureim)

→ Swahili: fremu

From Middle English frame (“profit, benefit, advantage; a structure composed according to a plan”), from the verb (above) and also from Old Norse frami (“advantage, fame, bravery, efficiency, privilege, honor”); and frame (“a framework or structure of any kind”) which is of uncertain origin. The latter is usually regarded as a derivative of former; however, compare the rare Anglo-Norman and Old French frame, fraine (“frame, framework”), itself of uncertain origin, which might be a borrowing from the English, from the Norse, or even possibly ultimately from Frankish *hramu (“frame”) related to Dutch raam (“window frame”).

der

(philately) The outer decorated portion of a stamp's image, often repeated on several issues although the inner picture may change.

(philately) The outer circle of a cancellation mark.


bisect

From bi- (“bi-, two”) + Latin secāre (“to cut”).

affix

(philately) An envelope, card, or fragment thereof showing an affixed cut half of a regular issued stamp, over which one or more postal markings have been applied. Typically used in wartime when normal lower rate stamps may not be available.


nibbed

en-adj

nibbed (comparative more nibbed, superlative most nibbed)

more nibbed (comparative)
most nibbed (superlative)

(philately) Of a stamp: having the nib of its perforation removed or damaged.


cancellation

en-noun

cancellation (countable and uncountable, plural cancellations)

cancellations (plural)
cancelation (alternative)

From Latin cancellātiō, from cancellō + -tiō.

(philately) A postmark that marks a postage stamp so as to prevent its reuse.


roulette

roulette (countable and uncountable, plural roulettes)

Borrowed from French roulette (“roulette, little wheel”). The sense "situation with a random chance of incurring serious harm" may be abstracted from Russian roulette.

bor

(philately) Any of the small incisions on a sheet of stamps, used as an alternative to perforations.


vignette

First attested in 1751. From French vignette, diminutive of vigne (“vine”), from Latin vīnea, from vīnum (“wine”). Replaced earlier Middle English vynet.

At the top of the stamp and centered slightly to the right is the wording, “U. S. Postage,” in white Gothic. Below the vignette are the words, “Little White House,” in quotations, with “Warm Springs,” centered directly below in dark Gothic, […]

1967, Postage Stamps of the United States, U.S. Government Printing Office:

(philately) The central pictorial image on a postage stamp.


triptych

triptychs (plural)
triptich (alternative)

From Ancient Greek τρίπτυχος (tríptukhos, “consisting of three layers, threefold”), from τρι- (tri-) + πτυχή (ptukhḗ, “a fold”).

uder

Hieronymus Bosch
The Garden of Earthly Delights
triptych

(by extension) A group of three people or works, especially when considered representative of a particular field or theme.

(philately) A set of three se-tenant postage stamps that form a composite picture.


variety

en-noun

variety (countable and uncountable, plural varieties)

varieties (plural)
variete (alternative)
varietie (alternative)
variëty (alternative)

From Middle French varieté (“variety”) (modern French variété (“variety; genre, type”)) or directly from its etymon Latin varietās (“difference; diversity, variety”) + English -ty (suffix forming abstract nouns from adjectives); by surface analysis, various + -ety. Varietās is derived from varius (“different, diverse, various; variegated”) (possibly ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₁weh₂- (“to abandon; to give out; to leave”)) + -tās (suffix forming feminine abstract nouns indicating a state of being). The English word displaced the native Old English mislīcnes.
Sense 1.3.2 (“total number of distinct states of a system; logarithm to the base 2 of the total number of distinct states of a system”) was coined by the English psychiatrist William Ross Ashby (1903–1972) in his work An Introduction to Cybernetics (1956).
Cognates
* Galician variedade (“variety”)
* Italian varietà (“difference; variety”)
* Portuguese variedade (“variety”)
* Spanish variedad (“breed; variety”)

der

(philately) A stamp, or set of stamps, which has one or more characteristics (such as colour, paper, etc.) differing from other stamps in the same issue, especially if such differences are intentionally introduced.


catalogue

en-verb

catalogue (third-person singular simple present catalogues, present participle cataloguing, simple past and past participle catalogued)

catalogues (present singular third-person)
cataloguing (participle present)
catalogued (participle past)
catalogued (past)
catalog (alternative US)

/ˈkæt.əˌlɒɡ/

/ˈkæt.əˌlɔɡ/

/ˈkæt.əˌlɑɡ/

From Middle English cathaloge, from Old French catalogue, from Late Latin catalogus, itself from Ancient Greek κατάλογος (katálogos, “enrollment, register”), from καταλέγω (katalégō, “to recount, make a list”), from κατα- (kata-, “downwards, towards”) + λέγω (légō, “to say, to speak, to tell”).

der

(philately) to value or sort stamps using a catalogue


CV

en-noun

CV (countable and uncountable, plural CVs)

CVs (plural)
C.V. (alternative)
C. V. (alternative)

Abbreviation
* (anime, Japanimation): From Japanese CV (CV), from English character+voice
* (aircraft carrier): Initialism of cruiser (“croiseur”) + French voler (“to fly”).

initialism of

(philately) Initialism of catalog value.


illegal

en-adj

illegal (comparative more illegal, superlative most illegal)

more illegal (comparative)
most illegal (superlative)

Borrowed from French illégal, from Medieval Latin illegalis, from Latin legalis, by surface analysis, il- + legal. In senses relating to immigration, via clipping from illegal alien or illegal immigrant.

(philately, of an issue printed for collectors) Totally fictitious, and often issued on behalf of a non-existent territory or country.


spacefiller

(philately) A stamp in poor condition used to fill a space in an album until a better quality example becomes available, or if the better example is prohibitively expensive.


bogus

bogus (comparative more bogus, superlative most bogus)

more bogus (comparative)
most bogus (superlative)

First attested as an underworld term for an apparatus for creating counterfeit coins, then the coins themselves. Later, the word was applied to anything of poor quality. The newest use to mean useless is probably from the slang of computer hackers.
The origin is unknown, but there are at least two theories that try to trace its origin:
* From Hausa boko (“to fake”). Since bogus first appeared in the United States, it may be possible that its ancestor was brought there on a slave ship.
* From criminal slang as a short form of tantrabogus, a 19th-century slang term for a menacing object, making some believe that bogus might be linked to bogy or bogey (see bogeyman). In this sense, Bogus might be related to Bogle – a traditional trickster from the Scottish Borders, noted for achieving acts of household trickery; confusing, but not usually damaging.

Bogus stamps are labels made to deceive stamp collectors. Many bogus stamps were made prior to 1900 when some had names of imaginary countries.

1962, Douglas Patrick, The International Guide to Stamps and Stamp Collecting: Includes the Answers to 1200 Questions Most Often Asked about Stamps:

(philately) Of a totally fictitious issue printed for collectors, often issued on behalf of a non-existent territory or country (not to be confused with forgery, which is an illegitimate copy of a genuine stamp).


gutter

Sranan Tongo: gotro

From Middle English gutter, guttur, goter, from Anglo-Norman guttere, from Old French goutiere (French gouttière), ultimately from Latin gutta (“drop”).

(philately) An unprinted space between rows of stamps.

marginaali

philately: unprinted space between rows of stamps


Scott

Scotts (plural)
Scot (alternative)
Scottie (alternative)
Scotty (alternative)

(philately, US, Canada) The Scott catalogue of postage stamps.


forerunner

From Middle English forrenner, foreriner. Calque of Latin praecursor (“one who runs before, a forerunner”). Equivalent to fore- + runner and/or forerun + -er.

cal

(philately) A postage stamp used in the time before a region or area issues stamps of its own.


BOB

(philately) Back-of-the-book; denoting those stamps in a catalogue that are not used for the payment of regular postage fees, and are displayed separately in the catalogue after that listing; the division between these two groups varies with the publisher.


court fee

(philately) Adhesive stamps, attached to court papers to pay fees. Previously common in India and now popular with collectors.


USS

(India, historical, philately) Initialism of United States of Saurashtra.


killer cancel

(philately) A cancellation mark that is so heavy that it defaces the postage stamp to which it is applied, devaluing it from a collector's point of view.


se-tenant

From French se tenant (“holding each other”), present participle of se tenir (“to hold each other”).

(philately) A set of postage stamps with differing values, colours, etc, but printed on the same sheet.


perforate

The adjective is first attested in 1425, in Middle English, the verb in 1538; from Middle English perforat(e) (“perforated, pierced”), borrowed from Latin perforātus, the perfect
passive participle of perforō (“to bore or pierce through, to perforate”) (see -ate (verb-forming suffix) and -ate (adjective-forming suffix)), from per- (“through, thorough”) + forō (“to bore, pierce”). Participial usage of the adjective up until Early Modern English.

inh

A species of remarkable appearance with mature leaf laminae often so profoundly perforate as to resemble a fragile net of tissue.

1999, Nguyen Van Dzu, Peter C. Boyce, Kew Bulletin, 54(2):379-393:


perfin

From the first syllables of perforated initial.

(philately) Perforated initial; a series of small holes punched into a stamp and forming a letter, series of letters or other design for the purpose of preventing the unauthorized use of the stamps.

(philately) A stamp marked with perforated initials.


tied

en-adj

tied (comparative more tied, superlative most tied)

more tied (comparative)
most tied (superlative)

Southern US, African-American Vernacular

(philately) A cover having a stamp where the postmark cancellation overlaps the stamp.


F

Abbreviation.
# (Stenoscript) Abbreviation of full, fully.
# (Stenoscript) suffixes -full, -fully.

ng

<i class="Latn mention" lang="en">fully</i>.


CU

(philately) in stamp descriptions, commercially used.


aerophilately

(philately) The study or collection of airmail stamps, cancellations, etc.

aerofilatelia

the study or collection of airmail stamps


HR

en-noun

HR (countable and uncountable, plural HRs)

/eɪt͡ʃ ɑː(ɹ)/

(philately) Initialism of hinge remnant.


CTO

Audio (US)

cancelled to order
cancelled to order#English

(philately) Initialism of cancelled to order.


CAM

(US, historical, philately) Initialism of contract air mail (often followed by the route number, eg, CAM 21).


SON

socked on the nose
socked on the nose#English

(philately) Initialism of socked on the nose.


MH

Loose mixed lot, with duplication, of the Portugal & Colonies first decimal definitive designs. Very mixed condition, from VF to junk, all "mint" in some form or another, some MNH, some MH, some MHH, some MNG, etc.

1995 February 12, R L Silverman, “For Sale: Portugal/Colonies "Ceres" 1912-1931”, in rec.collecting.stamps (Usenet):


specimen

specimen (plural specimens or (extremely rare) specimina)

specimens (plural)
specimina (plural rare)

From Latin specimen (“mark, sign, example”), from speciō (“observe, watch”).

An individual instance that represents a class; an example.

(philately) A postage stamp sent to postmasters and postal administrations so that they are able to identify valid stamps and to avoid forgeries


sea horse

sea horses (plural)
seahorse (alternative)
sea-horse (alternative)

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-sea horse.wav

From Middle English sehors (“walrus”), equivalent to sea + horse. Probably a calque of obsolete French cheval de mer or directly of Late Latin caballus marinus.

(philately) Any of a series of high-value British stamps issued during the reign of King George V, featuring a depiction of Britannia on a chariot in choppy seas.


FU

(philately) Initialism of fine used. (in stamp descriptions)


definitive

en-adj

definitive (comparative more definitive, superlative most definitive)

more definitive (comparative)
most definitive (superlative)

(philately) general, not issued for commemorative purposes

yleis-

philately: not issued for commemorative purposes


definitive

(philately) an ordinary postage stamp that is part of a series of all denominations or is reprinted as needed to meet demand


bourse

Borrowed from French bourse, from Old French borse, from Latin bursa, from Ancient Greek βύρσα (búrsa). Doublet of purse, compare Danish børs, Swedish börs, German Börse. See also bursar.

(philately) A meeting of stamp collectors and/or dealers, where stamps and covers are sold or exchanged.


provisional

/pɹəˈvɪʒənəl/

From provision + -al, or else from Middle French provisionnal (modern French provisionnel). Compare Latin prōvīsiōnālis.

(philately) A postage stamp issued locally before an official issue is released.


topical

beautiful Pictorials, topicals, commemoratives, airmails. Introductory selection 40% discount. Ralph Rice, 15 Longlane, West Hartford 7, Conn.

1956 December, “Classified Advertisements: Stamp collecting”, in Popular Mechanics, volume 106, number 6, page 57:

(philately) A postage stamp depicting a particular theme or subject (such as birds or trains), potentially sought out by topical stamp collectors.


traffic light

ពន្លឺចរាចរណ៍

pɔɔnlɨɨ cɑɑraacɑɑ

(philately) The colored dots on stamp sheet margins printed with offset printing or photogravure methods, used by the printers to check color accuracy.


kiloware

(philately) Postage stamps bought by weight, rather than numerical quantity, and commonly still on paper.


philatelically inspired

philatelically inspired (not comparable)

(philately) Produced by the postal authorities, but intended for stamp collectors rather than normal postage usage.


first day cover

en-noun

first day cover (plural first day covers)

first day covers (plural)
first-day cover (alternative)

Coordinate term: second day cover

(philately) A letter or card with a new stamp, postmarked on the day that the stamp was first issued.


postally used

(philately) Of a postage stamp, cancelled in the normal course of postal business, rather than to devalue it for sale to collectors.


bank mix

(philately) bulk stamps collected by banks and other large businesses, then sold to the collecting trade to raise funds for charities.


penge

The ‘PENGE’ flaw which is caused by a white defect on letter ‘C’ of PENCE giving the effect of a ‘G’. This is at # 116 on Plate I.

2017, Alan Griffiths, The 1879 First Sideface Issue of Queensland, page 21:

(philately) (typically penge flaw or penge error) a printing flaw on early Australian stamps where the c in pence appeared like the letter g.


indicia

From Latin indicia, plural of indicium (“a notice, information, discovery, sign, mark, token”), from index (“index”); see index.

(philately) A preprinted marking on a mailpiece which shows that postage has been paid by the sender.


MNH

All concentrate on pre-1930 items, and contain many better stamps not found in typical collections. The Netherlands starts with the first issues (imperf and perf, with shade varieties) and contains better later items, some MNH.

2006 October 23, Eric Hochman, “FA: Classic Collections -- Netherlands & Colonies, Cuba, and Haiti”, in rec.collecting.stamps.marketplace (Usenet):

(philately) Initialism of mint, never hinged.


MUH

(philately) Initialism of mint unhinged.


UM

(philately) Initialism of unmounted mint.


glassine

glassine (countable and uncountable, plural glassines)

(philately, usually used as a plural) A small stamp packet made from glassine paper.


Downey Heads

(philately) British stamps with the image of King George V, based on a photograph by the court photographers W & D Downey.


pictorial

pictorials (plural)
pictoral (alternative)

Latin pictōrius (“of painting”), from pictor (“painter”).

(philately) A stamp featuring a vignette of local scenery or culture.


convention state

convention state (plural convention states)

(philately, historical) Any of the Indian feudal states which, during the time of the British Empire, used overprinted Indian stamps valid for postage outside the state.


feudatory state

feudatory state (plural feudatory states)

(philately) any of the Indian feudal states which operated their own internal postal services during the time of the British Empire, issuing stamps that were only valid within the state.


prexie

(philately, colloquial) A definitive stamp of the presidential series issued by the United States from 1938 to 1954.


square circle

(philately) A cancellation mark consisting of an outer ring of concentric circles, cropped into a square shape.


IEF

(philately, overprint on stamps) Initialism of Indian Expeditionary Forces.


EAF

(philately, as an overprint on British stamps) Initialism of East African Forces.


MEF

(philately, overprint on British stamps) Initialism of Middle East Forces.


overprint

/ˈəʊvə(ɹ)ˌpɹɪnt/

/ˌəʊvə(ɹ)ˈpɹɪnt/

(philately) The addition of new text on a previously printed stamp, usually to add a surcharge or change the face value.

felülnyomás

the addition of new text on a previously printed stamp


overprint

en-verb

overprint (third-person singular simple present overprints, present participle overprinting, simple past and past participle overprinted)

overprints (present singular third-person)
overprinting (participle present)
overprinted (participle past)
overprinted (past)

/ˈəʊvə(ɹ)ˌpɹɪnt/

/ˌəʊvə(ɹ)ˈpɹɪnt/

(transitive, philately) To add an overprint to (a stamp).


surcharge

/ˈsɜː(ɹ)t͡ʃɑː(ɹ)d͡ʒ/

From Middle French surcharge, from Old French. By surface analysis, sur- + charge. Doublet of supercharge.

(philately) An overprint on a stamp that alters (usually raises) the original nominal value of the stamp; used especially in times of hyperinflation.


Morocco agencies

(philately, historical) The British post offices in Morocco; used as an overprint on British stamps.


On HMS

(philately, overprint on British Empire stamps) On Her (or His) Majesty's Service.


WM

en-noun

WM (countable and uncountable, plural WMs)


perforation gauge

perforation gauge (plural perforation gauges)

The perforation-gauge is surrounded by a neat border, and inscription indicating the price — one shilling — and the publisher's address.

1872, The Stamp-collector's magazine, volume 10, page 110:

We desperately need starter materials such as stamps, albums, perforation gauges, hinges or mounts, and magnifying glasses — any materials that a novice collector requires to get started.

2001, The American Philatelist, volume 115, page 686:

It is far easier to use a perforation gauge which for a few dollars can be found on eBay.

2014, Adam Gregory Koch, Philatelic Philosophy: Stamp Collecting Wisdom & Opportunity:

(philately) A device for measuring the number of perforations per 2 centimetre distance along the edge of a postage stamp.


Penny Black

(philately) The world's first official national mail postage stamp, issued in 1840 in the United Kingdom as part of the postal reforms establishing a uniform penny post.


bullseye

bullseyes (plural)
bull's-eye (alternative)
bull's eye (alternative)

→ German: Bullauge (calque)

→ Esperanto: bovokulo (calque)

From bull's + eye. May have come from the practice of English archers shooting an arrow through the eye socket of a bull's skull as a test of skill. The connection to philately comes from the shape of the key plate or vignette.

(philately, informal) Any of the first postage stamps produced in Brazil from 1843.


perf

(philately) Abbreviation of perforated. When followed by a number, eg, perf 14, this indicates the number of perforations per two centimetres.


imperf

(philately) Clipping of imperforate or imperforated.


imperforate

(philately) A postage stamp that has not been perforated.


MILY ADMN

(philately, overprint on British Empire stamps of Burma) Acronym of military administration.


underprint

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-underprint.wav

(philately) Printing underneath the main design of a stamp, intended to prevent forgery or removal of the postmark.

(philately, considered incorrect usage) a logo or advertising printed on the underside of a stamp; backprint.


plating

From Middle English *platynge, from Old English platung (“plate, thin piece of metal”), equivalent to plate + -ing.

inh

(philately) An act of determining where a postage stamp is positioned on a sheet.


Machin

From machun, from Anglo-Norman machun, masson, from Frankish *makjo (“maker; builder; see make”). More at mason.

der

(philately) Any of a British series of definitive stamps designed by Arnold Machin, first issued in 1967 and featuring a side view portrait of Queen Elizabeth II.


HH

(philately) Initialism of heavily hinged.


FDC

(philately) Initialism of first day cover.


tête-bêche

From French tête-bêche (literally “head-to-foot”).

bor

Liu himself is a professional stamp collector, and in 1972 he bought a tête-bêche pair of Qing dynasty stamps from an auction in London.

2017, David Der-wei Wang, A New Literary History of Modern China, Harvard University Press, →ISBN, page 704:

(philately) Of a postage stamp, printed upside down relative to the following stamp of the same row or column.


woodblock

woodblocks (plural)
wood block (alternative)

(philately) The emergency issue of the Cape triangles, printed in 1861.


unhinged

en-adj

unhinged (comparative more unhinged, superlative most unhinged)

more unhinged (comparative)
most unhinged (superlative)

(philately, of a stamp) Not having ever been mounted using a stamp hinge.


commemorative

First attested in 1612; borrowed from New Latin commemorātīvus, from commemorō. By surface analysis, commemorate + -ive, cognate with French commémoratif.

(philately) A postage stamp issued to commemorate, usually a person or event; also commonly applied to thematic (topical) stamp issues.


LH

(philately) Initialism of lightly hinged.


KUT

(philately) Initialism of Kenya, Uganda, Tanganyika, used to signify the joint issue of stamps by these countries from the mid-1930s to the early 1960s.

Postage stamps and postal history of Kenya, Uganda, Tanganyika


SG

(philately) Initialism of Stanley Gibbons, stamp dealer and catalogue publisher.


EF

(philately) Initialism of extremely fine or extra fine; also XF.


write up

en-verb

write up (third-person singular simple present writes up, present participle writing up, simple past wrote up, past participle written up)

writes up (present singular third-person)
writing up (participle present)
wrote up (past)
written up (participle past)

(philately) To annotate a stamp album page with details about the stamp, such as die used or colour variety.


uprate

uprate (third-person singular simple present uprates, present participle uprating, simple past and past participle uprated)

uprates (present singular third-person)
uprating (participle present)
uprated (participle past)
uprated (past)

(transitive, philately) To put a higher value of postage on (a letter) than required by the official rate.


Frama

From the name of Frama AG, an early manufacturer of such machines.

(philately) A postage stamp printed on demand from a vending machine.


uglies

The Feudatory States' stamps, with their distinctive designs, are philatelically known as "uglies", a name well deserved in many cases.

1960, The Illustrated Weekly of India, Publisher, Times of India, Volume 81, Issue 2 - Page 67

British collectors have sometimes referred to these as “the Uglies,” though it’s unclear when or where this term originated.

2017, India feudatory ‘Uglies’ shine at Cherrystone auction, Author:

(philately, derogatory, informal) The stamps of the Indian feudatory states.


miscut

en-noun

miscut (countable and uncountable, plural miscuts)

(philately) Incorrect separation of postage stamps; a postage stamp resulted from such an error.


WF

(philately) Initialism of Washington Franklin. (USA stamp series, 1909 - 1920)


balloon mail

(postal, philately) The transport of mail, usually for weight reasons, in the form of a postcard carrying the name of the sender by means of an unguided hydrogen or helium balloon.


stampless

(philately) Prior to the introduction of adhesive postal stamps.


first flight cover

first flight cover (plural first flight covers)

philatelically inspired
philatelically inspired

(philately) A philatelically inspired letter flown on the first flight of a new airline service.


mute cancel

(philately) A postal cancellation that does not state any location or date, used in wartime to prevent the enemy gathering information about troop movements from captured mail.


sheetlet

(philately) A small sheet of postage stamps sold as a unit.


socked on the nose

(philately) Having a cancellation mark, typically round, centered on the stamp.


CEF

C.E.F (alternative)
C.E.F. (alternative)

(philately, on postage stamps of India, 1900-1921): China Expeditionary Force

(philately, with surcharge on stamps of Kamerun, 1915): Cameroon Expeditionary Force


DLR

(philately) Initialism of De La Rue. (stamp and banknote printers)


widow's weeds

From (now) fossil word weeds (“garments, esp. mourning garments”), from Old English wǣd (“garment”).

(philately) a stamp bearing a portrait of Queen Victoria wearing mourning clothes


bundleware

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-bundleware.wav

(philately) Postage stamps of the same issue tied together in small bundles, usually for bulk sorting or sale.


PNC

I gave up plate blocks long ago, but still obtain PNC's - but only one of each issue and without regard to the particular number.

1997 June 18, R Sumner, “Re: Why collect new U.S.?”, in rec.collecting.stamps (Usenet):

plate number coil
plate number coil#English

(philately) Initialism of plate number coil.

philatelic numismatic cover
philatelic numismatic cover#English

(philately) Initialism of philatelic numismatic cover.


maximaphily

(philately) A branch of philately involving the study and creation of maximum cards.


NVI

(philately) Initialism of (a stamp with) no value indicated.


HCV

(philately) Initialism of high catalogue value.


stock sheet

(philately) A strong card, typically black, with firm clear plastic strips placed horizontally, used to store or display stamps.


Hagner

(philately) A stamp display stock sheet made by Hagner UK, or, through trademark erosion, any similar stock sheet.


odontometer

The idea of an odontometer is due to Dr. Magnus—the very word, signifying literally a tooth-measurer, was laid down by him; and in Le Timbre-Poste, five years ago, the first odontometer was published by him in illustration of an article on perforations.

1872, “Reviews of Postal Publications”, in The Stamp-Collector's Magazine, volume 10, page 110:


PBC

(historical, philately) Initialism of passed by censor.


poster stamp

(philately, advertising) A label, resembling a postage stamp, issued to advertise or commemorate a product or event.


railway stamp

(philately) A stamp issued to pay the cost of the conveyance of a letter or parcel by rail.


first-day cover

first-day cover (plural first-day covers)

(philately) Alternative form of first day cover.


lakatoi

lakatois (plural)
lakatoi (plural)
lagatoi (alternative)

(philately, early 20th century) any of the series of postage stamps issued in British New Guinea and Papua featuring a design of a lakatoi.


prestamp

a stampless cover

(philately) Prior to the introduction of adhesive postal stamps.


Wilding

(philately) Any of a series of British stamps that have an image of Queen Elizabeth II based on a portrait by Dorothy Wilding.


Zepp

This is about your last chance to buy cheaply as the stock in the U. S. is cleaned up. Remember the Zepps, including the 50c one!! Postage 3c.

1936 January 11, “The $5.00 No. 480 [advertisement]”, in Linn's Weekly Stamp News, volume 8, number 11, Columbus, Ohio, page 234:


cancelled to order

(philately) postage stamps not intended for postal use that are pre-cancelled prior to sale to collectors


plate number coil

plate number coil (plural plate number coils)

We have developed other philatelic interests over the years so that it isn't important to us to have every new issue. Or, as Dave Lee suggested in another post, we work a specialty within modern issues such as plate number coils, or transportation issues, etc.

1997 June 18, WJFIELDS [username], “Re: Why collect new U.S.?”, in rec.collecting.stamps (Usenet):

(philately) A United States postage stamp with the number of the printing plate or plates printed on it.


plate block

(philately) A block of stamps from the edge of the sheet which shows the plate from which the stamps were printed.


AAMS

American Air Mail Society
w:American Air Mail Society

(US, philately) Initialism of American Air Mail Society.


letter sheet

letter sheets (plural)
lettersheet (alternative)

(philately) A sheet of paper that may be folded (and often sealed) and mailed without the use of an envelope.


unwmk

(philately) Abbreviation of unwatermarked.


inverted Jenny

inverted Jenny (plural inverted Jennies)

(philately, historical) A 24-cent US postage stamp first issued in 1918.


overfrank

en-verb

overfrank (third-person singular simple present overfranks, present participle overfranking, simple past and past participle overfranked)

overfranks (present singular third-person)
overfranking (participle present)
overfranked (participle past)
overfranked (past)

Why would the UNPA overfrank a piece of mail?

2001, The American Philatelist, volume 115, page 390:

(philately) To apply stamps with a higher value than the postage required to a letter.


XF

(philately) Initialism of extremely fine or extra fine; also EF.


MLH

(philately) Initialism of mint, lightly hinged.


VLH

(philately) Initialism of very lightly hinged.


FVF

(philately) Initialism of fine/very fine.


sideface

1998, Colin Beech, The Redhead: A Collector's Guide to Shading the Stamps of the One Penny Red George V., Sideface Issues of Australia, 1914-1922, British Society of Australian Philately, page Title:

(philately) A definitive stamp with the portrait facing to the side of the stamp.


bibliophilately

(rare, philately) The collection or study of postage stamps and other philatelic material thematically related to books or libraries.


biophilately

A recent addition to the list of Life Members of the Wilson Ornithological Society is Dr. John T. Emlen, Professor of Zoology at the University of Wisconsin. […] He has three sons, all of whom are students of biology, and besides his professional work finds time to devote to conservation matters, as well as photography and biophilately.

1966 March, “New Life Member”, in The Wilson Bulletin, volume 78, number 1, page 120:

For instance, Philately is the most popular hobby of the world. Hence, introducing biophilately in the agenda of the concerned NGO will enhance its success in its aims. Spotting animals, birds, plants, insects, etc. on stamps may provide interested people with an efficient media of education […]

1990, Desh Bandhu, Harjit Singh, A. K. Maitra, editors, Environmental Education and Sustainable Development, New Delhi: Indian Environmental Society, page 486:

(rare, philately) The collection or study of postage stamps and other philatelic material thematically related to biology (animals, plants etc.).


maximum card

(philately) A postcard with the stamp placed on the picture side of the card where the stamp and card match or are in concordance.


maxicard

maxicards (plural)
maxi card (alternative)
maxi-card (alternative)


astrophilatelist

(philately) One who practices astrophilately.


MHH

Loose mixed lot, with duplication, of the Portugal & Colonies first decimal definitive designs. Very mixed condition, from VF to junk, all "mint" in some form or another, some MNH, some MH, some MHH, some MNG, etc.

1995 February 12, R L Silverman, “For Sale: Portugal/Colonies "Ceres" 1912-1931”, in rec.collecting.stamps (Usenet):

(philately) Initialism of mint, heavily hinged.


EFO

(philately) Initialism of errors, freaks, and oddities.


misperf

Loose mixed lot, with duplication, of the Portugal & Colonies first decimal definitive designs. […] Includes perf varieties, paper varieties, color varieties, misperfs, etc.


miniature sheet

en-noun

miniature sheet (plural miniature sheets)

(philately) A smaller-than-normal sheet or pane of usually identical postage stamps, commonly containing gum and perforations, sometimes bearing a marginal inscription identifying an event being commemorated, printed as a souvenir or for collecting purposes.


souvenir sheet

(philately) A small block or sheet of postage stamps, including a single value or a series of stamps, often without gum or perforations, having a wide margin with an inscription or design identifying an event being commemorated, printed as a souvenir or for collecting purposes.


telegraph stamp

telegraph stamp (plural telegraph stamps)

(philately) A stamp intended solely for the prepayment of telegraph fees.


postage due stamp

postage due stamp (plural postage due stamps)

postage due stamps (plural)
postage-due stamp (alternative)

(philately) An adhesive stamp affixed by a post office to an item of mail, indicating that insufficient or no postage has been prepaid.


health stamp

(New Zealand, philately) Any of a long-running series of postage stamps of New Zealand whose price includes a premium for charitable causes in addition to the usual charge for postage.


stockbook

(philately) storage book used by stamp collectors for storage of postage stamps placed in pockets, on pages, for easy viewing.


Meghdoot card

(India, philately) A reduced-rate post card, with advertising on the address side used to subsidize the postage cost.


ambulance cover

ambulance cover (plural ambulance covers)

(philately, informal) An envelope used by the postal authorities to convey a letter damaged during sorting.


Zeppelin stamp

(philately, historical) A postage stamp intended to pay the postage for mail carried on Zeppelin flights, either specially designed or overprinted, issued by certain countries during the late 1920s and early 1930s when Zeppelins flew passengers and mail between Germany and other countries.


wmkd

(philately) Abbreviation of watermarked.


chalky paper

chalky paper (countable and uncountable, plural chalky papers)

(philately) A kind of paper coated with a chalky solution for security purposes, to prevent removal of a postmark without damaging the stamp.


SPIFS

An acronym, variously explained as "stamps perforated for individuals or firms" or "stamps perforated with initials of firms or societies".


stamp collection

stamp collection (countable and uncountable, plural stamp collections)

(philately) A philatelist's collection of stamps.


green stamp

(historical, philately) A type of trading stamp.


second day cover

second day cover (plural second day covers)

Coordinate term: first day cover

(philately) A letter or card with a new postage stamp, postmarked on the day after the official release of a stamp.