stockpile

American  

[stok-pahyl] / ˈstɒkˌpaɪl /

noun

1. a supply of material, as a pile of gravel in road maintenance.

2. a large supply of some metal, chemical, food, etc., gathered and held in reserve for use during a shortage or during a period of higher prices.

3. a quantity, as of munitions or weapons, accumulated for possible future use.

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verb (used with object)

stockpiled, stockpiling

1. to accumulate (material, goods, or the like) for future use; put or store in a stockpile.

verb (used without object)

stockpiled, stockpiling

1. to accumulate in a stockpile.

stockpile British  

/ ˈstɒkˌpaɪl /

verb

1. to acquire and store a large quantity of (something)

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noun

1. a large store or supply accumulated for future use

Other Word Forms

• stockpiler
  noun

Etymology

Origin of stockpile

First recorded in 1915–20; stock + pile ¹

Explanation

A stockpile is a large amount of something that you save for later. If you're worried about running out of your favorite flavor of bubble gum, you might decide to keep a stockpile of it. If you hear the word stockpile on the news, it's probably referring to weapons which are accumulated and saved by a country that might need to use them some day in the future. You can use stockpile to describe the actual cache of weapons and also as a verb, to describe the act of storing them. The word was originally a mining term that literally described a pile of ore. During World War II, stockpile became a more general term.

Example Sentences

Linville called it a “multi-year process,” even if regulations are removed to speed up the buildup of a domestic stockpile.

From Salon • May 15, 2026

"They have the biggest world stockpile of foodstuffs and of fertiliser," he said.

From BBC • May 12, 2026

Whenever there is an interruption in blood donations and the stockpile dips, blood organizations are forced to declare an emergency.

From Slate • May 9, 2026

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced Wednesday that Australia would establish a national fuel stockpile of one billion litres.

From Barron's • May 7, 2026

Nan had a stockpile of quotes about lying, but I knew the situation called for more fibbing than usual, at least until I’d worked out what to do next.

From "Hope Springs" by Jaime Berry

Related Words

• accumulation
• buildup
• cache
• hoard
• inventory
• nest egg
• reserve
• stash
• stock
• surplus