cachet

Etymology

Borrowed from French cachet, first appearing in Scottish English, from 1630.

noun

1. (archaic) A seal, as of a letter.
2. (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.
   In fact, within the Waffen-SS as a whole, the carrying of a personal weapon such as a pistol or a submachine-gun in addition to or instead of the issue rifle became something of a cachet. 1993, Bruce Quarrie, Waffen-SS Soldier: 1940–45, page 12
   He told Bai, "When you go out and talk to them, people are much more interested in something like MoveOn.org than in the Democratic Party. It has cachet. There is no cachet in the Democratic Party.[…]" 2005, David Horowitz, The Shadow Party, page 206
   This class of bottled water dominates the U.S. market and consumers seem to prefer the cachet of spring water to processed municipal waters. 2010, Peter H. Gleick, Bottled and Sold: The Story Behind Our Obsession with Bottled Water, unnumbered page
   Men like Jerome, Belmont, and Travers thought they would accomplish this by lending their social approval and cachet to the sport, thereby giving it the appearance of wholesomeness. 2010, Maryjean Wall, How Kentucky Became Southern, page 176
   Cachet powers the often elusive concept “cool”; nothing can be cool without associations to particular groups of high-status individuals, namely, musicians, celebrities, and popular teens. 2022, W. David Marx, chapter 3, in Status and Culture, Viking
3. (philately) A commemorative stamped design or inscription on an envelope, other than a cancellation or pre-printed postage.
   The Alcatraz pelican cachet turned out to have a unique history of its own which had been lost over the years. Master cachet designer and artist John Coulthard (1903-1966) of 17 Elm Street Modesto, California, was the creator of the stamp. 2011, Jerry Lewis Champion Jr., The Fading Voices of Alcatraz, page 160
4. A sealed envelope containing an item whose price is being negotiated.
   The most romantic rite of bargaining is the cachet; even its name suggests a thrilling secrecy. The cachet is used when a broker negotiates the sale of a diamond. 2011, Alicia Oltuski, Precious Objects: A Story of Diamonds, Family, and a Way of Life, page 47
5. (medicine) A capsule containing a pharmaceutical preparation.
   In order to facilitate taking by the patient, powders are often ordered to be dispensed in cachets. 1907, Pharmaceutical Journal, volume 79, page 101
   One cachet on an empty stomach first thing in the morning, a second in one and a half hours, a third in one hour afterwards, and a fourth two hours later. 1915, American Druggist and Pharmaceutical Record, volume 63, page 237
6. A hidden location from which one can observe birds while remaining unseen.
   On my way back to my cachet I met another party of reed-buntings, one of which I bagged; then I sat in my hiding-place for an hour, waiting for geese that never came within range. 1901, Henry Seebohm, The Birds of Siberia, published 2011, page 81

verb

1. (transitive, philately) To mark (an envelope) with a commemorative stamped design or inscription.