top definitions
quizzes
related content
examples
explore dictionary
british
scientific
cultural
idioms and phrases

stock

[ stok ]

/ stɒk /

SEE SYNONYMS FOR stock ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

a supply of goods kept on hand for sale to customers by a merchant, distributor, manufacturer, etc.; inventory.

a quantity of something accumulated, as for future use: a stock of provisions.

livestock.

Theater. a stock company: a job in summer stock.

Finance.

the outstanding capital of a company or corporation.
the shares of a particular company or corporation.
the certificate of ownership of such stock; stock certificate.
(formerly) a tally or stick used in transactions between a debtor and a creditor.

Horticulture.

Also called understock. in grafting, a stem in which the bud or scion is inserted.
a stem, tree, or plant that furnishes slips or cuttings; stock plant.

the trunk or main stem of a tree or other plant, as distinguished from roots and branches.

the type from which a group of animals or plants has been derived.

a species or other related group of animals or plants.

the person from whom a given line of descent is derived; the original progenitor.

a line of descent or lineage; a racial or ethnic group.

Linguistics. a category consisting of language families that, because of resemblances in grammatical structure and vocabulary, are considered likely to be related by common origin.Compare family(def 14), phylum(def 2).

any grouping of related languages.

the handle of a whip, fishing rod, etc.

Firearms.

the wooden or metal piece to which the barrel and mechanism of a rifle are attached.
a part of an automatic weapon, as a machine gun, similar in position or function.

the trunk or stump of a tree, left standing.

a dull or stupid person.

something lifeless or senseless.

the main upright part of anything, especially a supporting structure.

stocks,

a former instrument of punishment consisting of a framework with holes for securing the ankles and, sometimes, the wrists, used to expose an offender to public derision.Compare pillory(def 1).
a frame in which a horse or other animal is secured in a standing position for shoeing or for a veterinary operation.
the frame on which a boat rests while under construction.

Nautical.

a vertical shaft forming part of a rudder and controlling the rudder's movement.
a transverse piece of wood or metal near the ring on some anchors.

the metal or wooden body of a carpenter's plane.

Metallurgy.

material being smelted in a blast furnace.
a metal piece to be forged.

Printing.

a specified quality or kind of paper: glossy stock; card stock; offset stock.
the paper for printing a particular job: We don't have enough stock for that large a run.

the raw material from which something is made.

Papermaking. stuff(def 15).

Cookery. the liquor or broth prepared by boiling meat, fish, chicken, etc., with or without vegetables or seasonings, and used especially as a foundation for soups and sauces.

any of several plants belonging to the genus Matthiola, of the mustard family, especially M. incana, having fragrant white, blue, purple, reddish, or yellowish flowers.

a rhizome or rootstock.

Zoology. a compound organism, as a colony of corals.

a collar or a neckcloth fitting like a band around the neck.

Cards. the portion of a pack of cards that, in certain games, is not dealt out to the players, but is left on the table, to be drawn from as occasion requires.

an adjustable wrench for holding dies for cutting screws.

Railroads. rolling stock.

Dominoes. boneyard(def 3).

Informal. stock car(def 1).

Roman Catholic Church. one of a set of three metal containers for holy oil.

Geology, Mining. an irregular igneous intrusion, usually an offshoot of a batholith, often mineralized.

Archaic. a stocking.

Obsolete. the frame of a plow to which the share, handles, etc., are attached.

adjective

kept regularly on hand, as for use or sale; staple; standard: stock articles.

having as one's job the care of a concern's goods: a stock clerk.

of the common or ordinary type; in common use: a stock argument.

banal; commonplace: a stock remark.

pertaining to or designating the breeding and raising of livestock: stock farming.

Southern U.S. chiefly Southern Appalachian and (South Atlantic States ). (of farm animals) being a fully grown male: a stock hog.

of or relating to the stock of a company or corporation: a stock report.

Theater.

pertaining to a stock company.
appearing together in a repertoire, as a company.
forming part of a repertoire, as a play.
being a character type fixed by convention, as in the commedia dell'-arte, a harlequinade, minstrel show, or the like.

Informal. of, relating to, or characteristic of a stock car.

verb (used with object)

to furnish with a stock or supply.

to furnish with stock, as a farm with horses, cattle, etc.

to lay up in store, as for future use.

to fasten to or provide with a stock, as a rifle, plow, bell, anchor, etc.

to put in the stocks as a punishment.

verb (used without object)

to lay in a stock of something (often followed by up).

QUIZZES

TAKE THIS QUIZ TO SEE WHAT YOU KNOW ABOUT 2ND-3RD GRADE VOCAB FROM BOOKS!

Are you learning new vocabulary? Or do you just have an interest in words? Either way, this quiz is for you.

Question 1 of 10

orchard

body of land completely surrounded by water

group of cultivated fruit trees

long mournful cry

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Idioms for stock

in stock, on hand for use or sale: There are no more blue skirts in stock.

lock, stock, and barrel. lock¹(def 30).

on the stocks,

under construction, as especially a ship.
in progress or preparation: a new novel on the stocks.

out of stock, lacking a supply of, especially temporarily: We are out of stock in this item.

take/put stock in, to put confidence in or attach importance to; believe; trust: Considering his general unreliability, I can't take stock in what he has told you.

take stock,

to make an inventory of stock on hand.
to make an appraisal of resources or prospects: She took stock of her decorating scheme and decided it was time for a change.

Origin of stock

before 900; (noun) Middle English; Old English stoc(c) stump, stake, post, log; cognate with German Stock, Old Norse stokkr tree-trunk; (v.) derivative of the noun

SYNONYMS FOR stock

1 store, provision, reserve.

11 lineage, family.

14 haft.

43 usual.

SEE SYNONYMS FOR stock ON THESAURUS.COM

OTHER WORDS FROM stock

stock·like, adjectivede·stock, verb (used with object)non·stock, noun, adjectivepre·stock, noun, verb (used with object)

sub·stock, nounun·stocked, adjectivewell-stocked, adjective

Words nearby stock

stoccado, stochastic, stochastic matrix, stochastic terrorism, stochastic variable, stock, stock and station agent, stock boy, stock buyback, stock car, stock certificate

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for stock

The obnoxious meddling journalist is a stock character in fiction.
I Blame People Who Blame the Media: Robert McCulloch’s Tone-Deaf Speech|Arthur Chu|November 25, 2014|DAILY BEAST
On Friday, the stock market hit new highs—even as wages were stagnating.
With Immigration Move, Obama and the Welfare Party Strike Again|Lloyd Green|November 24, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Yes, the stock market is booming but overwhelmingly Americans are unhappy with their economic situation—and for good reason.
Voters Remind D.C. That the Economy Still Sucks|Stuart Stevens|November 6, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Young began traveling around the country, convincing wholesalers to stock the magazine.
It Was All a Dream: Drama, Bullshit, and the Rebirth of The Source Magazine|Alex Suskind|October 14, 2014|DAILY BEAST

Instead, she fell back on her stock answer that there are parts of the law that need to be fixed.
Mitch McConnell-Alison Lundergan Grimes Debate Leaves Kentucky Hanging|Sam Youngman|October 14, 2014|DAILY BEAST
April 20th, Salina was raided, two men killed, and two hundred head of stock taken.
Forty Years Among the Indians|Daniel W. Jones
The Parisian gamins are alike wherever you see them, for they all come from one stock, and are all brought up in one way.
Nasby in Exile|David R. Locke
If he had a stock of provision on hand, he still pursued the goats as usual, but only for his personal gratification.
The Solitary of Juan Fernandez, or The Real Robinson Crusoe|Joseph Xavier Saintine
Nearly every penny of the stock was owned right in the town of Fenville.
Short Stories of the New America|Various
Of course he'll want guidance; you couldn't expect him to know much about stock yet, though he's certainly picked up a good bit.
Back To Billabong|Mary Grant Bruce

British Dictionary definitions for stock

stock

/ (stɒk) /

noun

(sometimes plural) the total goods or raw material kept on the premises of a shop or business
(as modifier)a stock clerk; stock book

a supply of something stored for future usehe keeps a good stock of whisky

finance

the capital raised by a company through the issue and subscription of shares entitling their holders to dividends, partial ownership, and usually voting rights
the proportion of such capital held by an individual shareholder
the shares of a specified company or industry
(formerly) the part of an account or tally given to a creditor
the debt represented by this

standing or status

farm animals, such as cattle and sheep, bred and kept for their meat, skins, etc
(as modifier)stock farming

the trunk or main stem of a tree or other plant

horticulture

a rooted plant into which a scion is inserted during grafting
a plant or stem from which cuttings are takenSee also rootstock

the original type from which a particular race, family, group, etc, is derived

a race, breed, or variety of animals or plants

(often plural) a small pen in which a single animal can be confined

a line of descent

any of the major subdivisions of the human species; race or ethnic group

the part of a rifle, sub-machine-gun, etc, into which the barrel and firing mechanism is set: held by the firer against the shoulder

the handle of something, such as a whip or fishing rod

the main body of a tool, such as the block of a plane

short for diestock, gunstock, rolling stock

(formerly) the part of a plough to which the irons and handles were attached

the main upright part of a supporting structure

a liquid or broth in which meat, fish, bones, or vegetables have been simmered for a long time

film material before exposure and processing

metallurgy

a portion of metal cut from a bar upon which a specific process, such as forging, is to be carried out
the material that is smelted in a blast furnace

Also called: gillyflower any of several plants of the genus Matthiola, such as M. incana and M. bicornis (evening or night-scented stock), of the Mediterranean region, cultivated for their brightly coloured flowers: Brassicaceae (crucifers)

Virginian stock a similar and related North American plant, Malcolmia maritima

a long usually white neckcloth wrapped around the neck, worn in the 18th century and as part of modern riding dress

cards a pile of cards left after the deal in certain games, from which players draw

the repertoire of plays available to a repertory company
(as modifier)a stock play

(on some types of anchors) a crosspiece at the top of the shank under the ring

the centre of a wheel

an exposed igneous intrusion that is smaller in area than a batholith

a log or block of wood

See laughing stock

an archaic word for stocking

in stock

stored on the premises or available for sale or use
supplied with goods of a specified kind

out of stock

not immediately available for sale or use
not having goods of a specified kind immediately available

take stock

to make an inventory
to make a general appraisal, esp of prospects, resources, etc

take stock in to attach importance to

lock, stock, and barrel See lock 1 (def. 7)