Definition

Noun: 1. The hobby or activity of collecting and studying postage stamps: This refers to the systematic practice of acquiring, organizing, and learning about stamps, often as a leisure pursuit. 2. A physical group or album of collected postage stamps: This refers to the tangible result of the hobby—the assembled stamps themselves, typically organized in albums, stockbooks, or folders.

Usage Examples

• As the hobby/activity:
  • His main interest is stamp collection; he spends hours researching different issues.
  • Philately, or stamp collection, is a popular pastime worldwide.
• As the physical group of stamps:
  • She showed me her grandfather's valuable stamp collection from the 19th century.
  • The entire stamp collection was carefully mounted in a leather-bound album.

Advanced Usage

• "to have a stamp collection": To own or maintain a collection of stamps.
  • Does your uncle still have a stamp collection?
• "to start/build a stamp collection": To begin or develop a collection over time.
  • He decided to start a stamp collection after receiving some interesting stamps from abroad.

Variants and Related Words

• Philately (noun): The formal study and collection of postage stamps. This is often used synonymously with "stamp collection" as the hobby, but emphasizes the scholarly aspect.
  • He joined a society dedicated to philately.
• Stamp collector (noun): A person who collects stamps.
  • The auction was attended by many serious stamp collectors.
• Album (noun): A book used for holding and displaying a stamp collection.
  • She carefully placed the new acquisition in her album.

Synonyms

• Philately: (for the hobby/study aspect)
• Assemblage of stamps: (for the physical collection)

Related Phrases

• First-day cover: An envelope bearing a stamp postmarked on its first day of issue, often collected by stamp collectors.
  • The most prized item in his collection is a first-day cover from 1935.
• Mint condition: Referring to a stamp that is in its original, unused state, as if just from the printer.
  • Stamps in mint condition are generally more valuable.

Noun

1. the collection and study of postage stamps
2. a collection of stamps