stash

American  

[stash] / stæʃ /

verb (used with object)

stashes, present (3rd person singular) stashed, past participle, past stashing present participle

1. to put by or away as for safekeeping or future use, usually in a secret place (usually followed byaway ).

   The squirrel stashes away nuts for winter.

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noun

stashes plural

1. something put away or hidden.

   a stash of gold coins buried in the garden.

2. a place in which something is stored secretly; hiding place; cache.

3. Slang. a supply of hidden drugs.

stash British  

/ stæʃ /

verb

1. informal to put or store (money, valuables, etc) in a secret place, as for safekeeping

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noun

1. informal a secret store or the place where this is hidden

2. slang drugs kept for personal consumption

Other Word Forms

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• stashes
  plural

Participles

• stashing
  present
• stashed
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• stash
  simple
• stashes
  simple
• have stashed
  perfect
• has stashed
  perfect
• are stashing
  progressive
• am stashing
  progressive
• is stashing
  progressive
• have been stashing
  perfect progressive
• has been stashing
  perfect progressive

Past

• stashed
  simple
• had stashed
  perfect
• was stashing
  progressive
• were stashing
  progressive
• had been stashing
  perfect progressive

Future

• will stash
  simple
• will have stashed
  perfect
• will be stashing
  progressive
• will have been stashing
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of stash

1775–85; blend of stow and cache

Explanation

When you stash something, you stow it away to use it later. Your little brother might stash his Halloween candy under his bed, for example. Use the word stash as a verb that means "hoard" or "stockpile," or as a noun — a pirate's secret pile of gold doubloons can be called a stash, and so can the collection of overdue library books you've got piled beside your bed. The verb version of stash was originally a late 1700's criminals' slang word meaning "conceal." It may have come from a combination of stow and cache.

Example Sentences

There are risks to policyholders: Asset managers could impose excessive fees on affiliated insurers or stash underperforming, hard-to-sell assets on insurance company balance sheets.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 26, 2026

Anastasia, who has a background in banking and is trained in holistic coaching, also uses the opportunity to promote her Snack Tin Guide, which teaches people how to stash their personal itty-bitty snack tins.

From Salon • May 17, 2026

More concretely, ever-increasing U.S. debt underlines Japan’s role as the largest foreign holder of Treasury bills, its $1.25 trillion stash nearly twice the size of China’s.

From Barron's • May 14, 2026

The stash of uncounted ballots would not have affected the outcome of the November 2025 statewide special election for Proposition 50, the county election office said in a news release Wednesday.

From Los Angeles Times • May 6, 2026

So I definitely understand needin’ a secret stash.

From "As Brave As You" by Jason Reynolds

Related Words

• bury
• conceal
• disguise
• hole up
• lock up
• secrete
• smuggle
• tuck away