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stockpile

American  
[stok-pahyl] / ˈstɒkˌpaɪl /

noun

  1. a supply of material, as a pile of gravel in road maintenance.

  2. a large supply of some metal, chemical, food, etc., gathered and held in reserve for use during a shortage or during a period of higher prices.

  3. a quantity, as of munitions or weapons, accumulated for possible future use.

verb (used with object)

stockpiled, stockpiling

  1. to accumulate (material, goods, or the like) for future use; put or store in a stockpile.

verb (used without object)

stockpiled, stockpiling

  1. to accumulate in a stockpile.

stockpile British  
/ ˈstɒkˌpaɪl /

verb

  1. to acquire and store a large quantity of (something)

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

noun

  1. a large store or supply accumulated for future use

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • stockpiler noun

Etymology

Origin of stockpile

First recorded in 1915–20; stock + pile 1

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

"If you cannot stockpile material that is enriched then there is no way you can actually create a bomb," Albusaidi told CBS's "Face the Nation."

From Barron's

A big chunk of global oil demand last year came from China’s efforts to build stockpiles.

From The Wall Street Journal

In Iran’s capital, panicked Tehranis rushed to grocery stores to stockpile food and water as explosions sounded across the city.

From The Wall Street Journal

Some people rushed to grocery stores to stockpile goods, though motorcycles delivering takeout meals and groceries continued to zip around the city.

From The Wall Street Journal

Both the Union and Confederate governments stockpiled rifles and cannons in anticipation of conflict.

From Literature

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.