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Airmail Stamp	Stamp issued specifically to prepay postage for mail carried by air.
Approvals	Look before buying" opportunity where stamps are sent to a collector for examination. Approvals offer the collector a wide range of material to choose from and must be bought or returned to the dealer within a specified time.
Block	Four or more attached stamps forming a square or rectangle.
Booklet Panes	Small, specifically-printed sheets of stamps sold in a booklet format.
Cachet	Illustration or description on an envelope denoting the commemorative purpose for which it was mailed.
Cancellation	Any mark applied to a stamp to prevent its reuse.
Centering	The position of the design on a stamp. On perfectly centered stamps, the design is exactly in the middle. Coil Stamp Stamp produced in a roll for use in vending machines. Usually identified by a pair of straight edges on opposite sides.
Commemorative Stamp	Stamp issued specifically to honor a person, place or event; usually on sale for only a short period of time.
Commemorative Sheet	A small sheet of stamps bearing a commemorative inscription.
Cover	An envelope, postcard or any other wrapper used to mail correspondence.
Cut Square	The cut corner of a postal stationery item (envelope or postcard) bearing the imprinted stamp with ample margins.
Definitive	Stamp issued for ordinary postal use that remains on sale for an extended period of time.
Denomination	The monetary value printed on a stamp.
Die	The stamp design is engraved on this small flat piece of soft steel used to print the stamp.
Duck Stamp	Issued annually since 1934, these U.S. duck hunting permits help finance the federal waterfowl program.
Embossed Envelope	An envelope bearing a postage stamp with raised surface designs printed on the envelope itself.
Errors	Highly-collectible stamps because of something incorrect in their design or manufacture.
First Day Cover	Envelope or card postmarked on the affixed stamp's first day of use.
First Flight Cover	Envelope or card carried on the inaugural mail flight between two points.
Grill	Series of small dots embossed on a stamp allowing ink from the postmark to sink in, thus preventing cleaning and reuse of the stamp.
Gum	The coating of glue on the back of an unused stamp.
Hinges	Small gummed, glassine strips used to affix stamps to album pages.
Imperforate Stamp	Stamp bearing straight edges on all four sides.
Invert	Stamp with one part of its design upside down in relation to the rest of the stamp.
Mint	Stamps in original unused condition, never canceled.
Mint Sheet	An entire sheet of stamps in original unused condition.
Official Stamp	Stamp valid solely for government agency use.
Overprint	Any printing added to a stamp after the original printing was completed.
Pair	Two unseparated stamps joined either vertically or horizontally.
Perforations	Holes punched between stamps on a sheet to facilitate separation.
Perforation Gauge	Device that measures the number of perforations on a stamp per two centimeters.
Philately	Technical name for stamp collecting.
Pictorial	Stamp that features a view such as a landscape or seascape, rather than a portrait, coat of arms or other symbolic design.
Plate Block	Four or more attached stamps still fastened to the margin on which the number of the printing plate is inscribed.
Postal Stationery	Envelopes, cards or other covers bearing imprinted or impressed stamps.
Postmark	Marking on a postal item recording the date and/or origin of its transit through the mail system.
Precancel	Stamp canceled by the post office before it is sold.
Revenue Stamp	Any stamp that indicates payment of a tax or fee.
Rouletting	The use of slits or cuts between stamps to facilitate separation.
Selvage	Unprinted paper around panes of stamps, sometimes called the margin.
Semi-Postal	Stamp from which all or part of the sales receipts go to charity or other causes.
Se-Tenant	Term describing adjoining stamps that differ from each other in design, denomination or some other aspect.
Surcharge	Overprint altering or establishing a stamp's face value.
Tab	Illustrated or descriptive label attached to a stamp.
Tongs	Metal tweezers used for safe and easy handling of stamps.
Topicals	A group of stamps with the same theme, such as space travel or Disney cartoons.
Unused	A stamp with no cancellation or other sign of use.
Used	A stamp that has been canceled.
Watermark	Design or pattern in paper formed during the manufacturing process, valuable as a security precaution against forgery.
Watermark Detector	A method of safely determining the existence of a watermark by placing a stamp in a tray filled with special fluid.

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