cachet
/kæˈʃeɪ/ noun, verb
Forms cachets cacheting cacheted
- noun (archaic) A seal, as of a letter.
- noun (figurative) A special characteristic or quality; prestige, especially via association. “I remember when this diner was a quiet hangout, but lately it seems to be losing its cachet.”
- noun (philately) A commemorative stamped design or inscription on an envelope, other than a cancellation or pre-printed postage.
- noun A sealed envelope containing an item whose price is being negotiated.
- noun (medicine) A capsule containing a pharmaceutical preparation.
- noun A hidden location from which one can observe birds while remaining unseen.
- verb (transitive, philately) To mark (an envelope) with a commemorative stamped design or inscription.
Synonyms
charm je ne sais quoi magic touch oomph zing seal seal of approval lettre de cachet
Etymology
Borrowed from French cachet, first appearing in Scottish English, from 1630.
Webster’s 1913
- noun A seal, as of a letter. Lettre de cachet Etym: [F.], a sealed letter, especially a letter or missive emanating from the sovereign; --much used in France before the Revolution as an arbitrary order of imprisonment.
Etymology [F. fr. cacher to hide.]
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “cachet”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details