Meaning & use
franking machines
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“franking machines” is a form of “franking machine”.
Meaning
nounpluralBritish
Office machines that print a mark on letters or parcels to show that postage has been paid.
Grammar: Plural of franking machine; one machine, many machines.
Patterns
- franking machines for something
The accounts department uses franking machines instead of stamps.
Many firms rent franking machines from the post office.
Franking machines record how much postage each department spends.
Word forms
| singular | franking machine |
|---|
Common combinations
- use franking machines
- Large offices use franking machines every day.
- rent franking machines
- We rent franking machines rather than buy them.
- franking machines for business
- Franking machines for business can save time.
- load a franking machine
- She loaded the franking machine with credit.
- franked by machine
- All letters are franked by machine.
Synonyms and how they differ
- postage meters
- Postage meters is the usual American term and describes the same equipment.
- stamping machines
- Stamping machines is looser and may refer to any machine that makes a mark, not postage specifically.
- mailing machines
- Mailing machines is a wider term that may include folding and inserting machines as well.
Word family
- frank verb
- to mark mail to show postage has been paid
- franking noun
- the act of marking mail this way
- franked adjective
- marked to show postage is paid
Commonly confused: franking machines or frank?
franking machines vs frank
The adjective frank means honest and direct, which is unrelated to franking mail.
Practice
The office no longer buys stamps because it uses ___ to mark its letters.
Choose one answer.
Franking machines print a mark showing postage has been paid. Photocopiers and shredders do not do this.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “franking machines”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.