stockpile

[stok-pahyl]

See more synonyms for stockpile on Thesaurus.com

noun

a supply of material, as a pile of gravel in road maintenance.
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.
a quantity, as of munitions or weapons, accumulated for possible future use.

verb (used with object), stock·piled, stock·pil·ing.

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

verb (used without object), stock·piled, stock·pil·ing.

to accumulate in a stockpile.

Origin of stockpile

First recorded in 1915–20; stock + pile¹

Related formsstock·pil·er, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words for stockpile

hoard, surplus, cache, stash, inventory, buildup, reserve, accumulation, stock, amass, accumulate, source, store, gather, save

Examples from the Web for stockpile

Contemporary Examples of stockpile

Importantly, as part of the interim plan, Iran has diluted or converted its stockpile of 20 percent enriched uranium.
Iran Nuke Deal: A Matter of War or Peace
Christopher Dickey
November 23, 2014
We have a stockpile of RD-180s and AJ26s that will last two years.
Why Does the USA Depend on Russian Rockets to Get Us Into Space?
P. J. O’Rourke
June 22, 2014
They buried a stockpile of rifles and machine guns on a slope just above the building that was to house the inmates.
Pablo Escobar’s Private Prison Is Now Run by Monks for Senior Citizens
Jeff Campagna
June 7, 2014
A bit of advice for Republican establishment types: Stockpile your Valium for March 2016.
Did the RNC Just Set the Table for Rand Paul?
David Freedlander
May 14, 2014
The temptation to stockpile vulnerabilities for offense is easy to understand.
The NSA Shouldn’t Stockpile Web Glitches
Richard Clarke, Peter Swire
April 18, 2014

Historical Examples of stockpile

And they've got a stockpile of ionic bombs ready at all times in case we get out of hand.
Dead World
Jack Douglas
They knew there'd be a need of individuality then—and they did create a stockpile.
This Crowded Earth
Robert Bloch
So far, the stockpile is big enough for about a week and a half of real cold.
The Year When Stardust Fell
Raymond F. Jones
Next, this Government is in the storage and stockpile business to the melancholy tune of more than $16 billion.
Complete State of the Union Addresses from 1790 to 2006
Various
A stockpile of the younger generation, specially educated; a stockpile of the older generation, carefully selected.
This Crowded Earth
Robert Bloch

British Dictionary definitions for stockpile

stockpile

verb

to acquire and store a large quantity of (something)

noun

a large store or supply accumulated for future use

Derived Formsstockpiler, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for stockpile

1872, from stock (n.2) + pile. Originally a term in mining. The verb is attested from 1921. Extended to general use during World War II.