hoarding

¹ American  

[hawr-ding] / ˈhɔr dɪŋ /

noun

1. the act of a person or animal that hoards.

   Depression-era hoarding, when gold coins disappeared from circulation;

   the hoarding of nuts by chipmunks.

2. hoardings, things that are hoarded.

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hoarding ² American  

[hawr-ding, hohr-] / ˈhɔr dɪŋ, ˈhoʊr- /

noun

1. a temporary fence enclosing a construction site.

2. British. a billboard.

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hoarding British  

/ ˈhɔːdɪŋ /

noun

1. Also called (esp US and Canadian): billboard.  a large board used for displaying advertising posters, as by a road

2. a temporary wooden fence erected round a building or demolition site

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Etymology

Origin of hoarding¹

First recorded in 1585–95; hoard + -ing ¹

Origin of hoarding²

First recorded in 1815–25; obsolete hoard (from Old French hourd(e) “palisade made of hurdles,” from Germanic; compare German Hürde “hurdle”) + -ing ¹

Example Sentences

Hoarding digital currencies was in vogue in the early part of 2025.

From Barron's • Oct. 25, 2025

Hoarding digital currencies was in vogue in the early part of 2025.

From Barron's • Oct. 25, 2025

Hoarding is often sensationalised and misunderstood - but it can be a symptom of deep trauma.

From BBC • Aug. 7, 2025

Sam Wainman is a PhD doctoral researcher in Hoarding Disorder at the University of Birmingham.

From BBC • Apr. 28, 2025

Have You Been Hoarding an Old Foulard Dress—One of that kind of dresses which you liked and hated to part with, but it went out of style.

From Mother's Remedies Over One Thousand Tried and Tested Remedies from Mothers of the United States and Canada by Ritter, Thomas Jefferson

Related Words

• accretion
• aggregation
• buildup
• growth
• inflation
• pile
• quantity