stockpile

[ stok-pahyl ]

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)

, stock·piled, stock·pil·ing.

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

verb (used without object)

, stock·piled, stock·pil·ing.

1. to accumulate in a stockpile.

stockpile

/ ˈstɒkˌpaɪl /

verb

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

noun

1. a large store or supply accumulated for future use

Derived Forms

• ˈstockˌpiler, noun

Other Words From

• stockpiler noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of stockpile¹

First recorded in 1915–20; stock + pile ¹

Example Sentences

This allowed Houghton and his team to develop a blood test to identify infected blood and remove it from transfusion stockpiles.

From Quanta Magazine

Former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe began a government push to triple the stockpile of Avigan in April, allocating almost $130 million to do so, even before clinical studies of the drug’s efficacy had produced results.

From Fortune

Under the ship-and-pray model, insuring vaccine stockpiles in developing countries is prohibitively expensive because underwriters are flying blind.

From Fortune

Since most people don’t have a personal stockpile of surgical masks, many have gotten creative, fashioning masks from T-shirts, bandanas or neck gaiters.

From Science News

It means looking at stockpiles, not only at national basis, regional, state-level basis.

From Freakonomics

Importantly, as part of the interim plan, Iran has diluted or converted its stockpile of 20 percent enriched uranium.

From The Daily Beast

And its military destroyed a large portion of Syria's chemical weapons stockpile.

From The Daily Beast

We have a stockpile of RD-180s and AJ26s that will last two years.

From The Daily Beast

They buried a stockpile of rifles and machine guns on a slope just above the building that was to house the inmates.

From The Daily Beast

A bit of advice for Republican establishment types: Stockpile your Valium for March 2016.

From The Daily Beast

A stockpile of the younger generation, specially educated; a stockpile of the older generation, carefully selected.

From Project Gutenberg

They knew there'd be a need of individuality then—and they did create a stockpile.

From Project Gutenberg

Next, this Government is in the storage and stockpile business to the melancholy tune of more than $16 billion.

From Project Gutenberg

So far, the stockpile is big enough for about a week and a half of real cold.

From Project Gutenberg

And they've got a stockpile of ionic bombs ready at all times in case we get out of hand.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• accumulation
• buildup
• cache
• hoard
• inventory
• nest egg
• reserve
• stash
• stock
• surplus