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.

---

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)

---

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

Example Sentences

“For context, China’s iron ore port stockpiles have only lifted above 160 million tons briefly on three occasions in 2018 and one occasion in 2022,” he says.

From The Wall Street Journal

It’s true that should the Iranian regime topple “the country’s stockpiles of highly enriched uranium and operating nuclear reactors could become dangerously unsecured.”

From The Wall Street Journal

As the sector weathers a period of unprecedented uncertainty, retailers and manufacturers are sitting on their biggest polished‑stone stockpiles in years.

From Barron's

It also has significant stockpiles of short-range missiles capable of reaching U.S. bases in the Gulf and ships in the Strait of Hormuz, as well as antiship cruise missiles.

From The Wall Street Journal

Moments earlier, his company, which stockpiles bitcoin, had reported a $12 billion quarterly loss related to the token’s late-2025 swoon.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

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