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

Within industries, as a supply-chain crisis unfolds, fear and self-protection instincts kick in, with hoarding and company-level stockpiling resulting in confusing demand signals that make it hard for upstream producers to respond.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 3, 2026

The exchange is now looking to send a stronger message by revising its corporate governance message to get companies to stop hoarding cash.

From Barron's • May 20, 2026

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

From Los Angeles Times • May 12, 2026

“I’d argue this is a rainy day—I don’t know what we’re hoarding the money for.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 13, 2026

Fie began to hover about when the warder came to the window in order to make sure that I was not hoarding the tobacco.

From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela

Related Words

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