timbre

stamp

noun TAHM-bruh Rare

Origin: Greek tympanon (drum)

Also means

tone

Usage Note

timbre covers both a postage stamp (timbre-poste) and the tonal quality of a voice or musical instrument (le timbre de sa voix — the tone of his voice). These are two quite different senses, so context is essential.

Examples

"Il faut coller un timbre sur l'enveloppe."

Natural Translation

You need to put a stamp on the envelope.

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