Past tense of stamp; pressed down heavily with the foot, or marked with an official seal or mark.
From Middle English 'stampen,' possibly from Old Norse 'stampra' (to strike). The word originally meant to pound or crush with the foot.
Postage stamps became iconic in 1840 when Britain issued the first adhesive stamps with Queen Victoria's portrait—before that, the recipient paid postage, not the sender, which changed how communication worked.
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