Definition

Noun: - The hobby of collecting postage stamps: This refers to the systematic acquisition, organization, and study of postage stamps and related postal materials as a leisure activity.

Usage

Stamp collecting is typically pursued as a pastime or hobby. It involves seeking out stamps, often from different countries or historical periods, and arranging them in albums. The activity can also include the study of stamps' designs, origins, and historical significance.

Examples

• Stamp collecting is a popular hobby worldwide, with many clubs and societies dedicated to it.

Advanced Usage

• "Philately": This is the formal term for the study of stamps and postal history, often used interchangeably with "stamp collecting," though it emphasizes the academic study aspect.
  • He moved from casual stamp collecting to serious philately.

Variants and Related Words

• Stamp collector (n): A person who collects stamps.
  • The stamp collector displayed his rarest finds at the exhibition.
• Philatelist (n): A person who studies or collects stamps, especially as an expert.
  • The philatelist authenticated the rare 19th-century stamp.

Synonyms

• Philately: The collection and study of postage stamps.
• Stamp hobby: The activity of collecting stamps.

Related Phrases

• "First-day cover collecting": A specialized area within stamp collecting that involves collecting envelopes with stamps postmarked on their first day of issue.
  • Her interest in stamp collecting focused primarily on first-day covers.

Noun

1. the collection and study of postage stamps