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Glite Dictionary
postmarking

postmarking

3.9
To put a mark with the date and place on a letter or package to show when it was sent
  • noun
translation icon : franqueo
  • Fold that up, send that letter to yourself, and then open it up on the date that you had postmarked a few months out.
  • postmarking rules

Examples

  • After making sure the postmarking was clear, she dropped the letter in the mailbox.

  • The postmarking on the envelope indicated that it was sent from New York on April 3rd.

  • Effective postmarking helps ensure that mail is delivered on time, showing when it was sent.

Surface Forms

postmarking singular
postmarkings plural

Morphology

postmarking = postmark (transparent) = post + mark + ing

The verb 'postmark' (post + mark) plus the productive gerundive suffix '-ing' yields the action/process; the meaning is directly predictable from the base.

Etymology

The word postmarking comes from post- ('mail') and mark ('sign'). It means the act of putting a stamp or sign on mail to show when and where it was sent.