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

This pivotal moment that’s had them hoarding assets and fencing off their financial flexibility.

From Los Angeles Times • May 12, 2026

South Korean police said on Tuesday they were investigating firms suspected of hoarding medical syringes, as the Middle East war hits supplies of an oil-derived component crucial for making many plastic goods.

From Barron's • Apr. 28, 2026

More recently, regulators have begun turning their attention to blue-chip companies that have been hoarding excess cash on their balance sheets.

From Barron's • Apr. 24, 2026

When O'Reilly broke the deadlock, he leapt high, punching the air flamboyantly before jumping on to an advertising hoarding with a flying kick.

From BBC • Mar. 22, 2026

Even Dinorah added some guava paste she’d been hoarding.

From "In the Time of the Butterflies" by Julia Alvarez

Related Words

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