stack

1 of 2

noun

plural stacks
1
: a large usually conical pile (as of hay, straw, or grain in the sheaf) left standing in the field for storage
2
a
: an orderly pile or heap
b
: a large quantity or number
3
: an English unit of measure especially for firewood that is equal to 108 cubic feet
4
a
: a number of flues embodied in one structure rising above a roof
b
: a vertical pipe (as to carry off smoke)
c
: the exhaust pipe of an internal combustion engine
5
a
: a structure of bookshelves for compact storage of books
usually used in plural
b
stacks plural : a section of a building housing such structures
6
: a pile of poker chips
7
a
: a memory or a section of memory in a computer for temporary storage in which the last item stored is the first retrieved
also : a data structure that simulates a stack
a push-down stack
b
: a computer memory consisting of arrays of memory elements stacked one on top of another

stack

2 of 2

verb

stacked; stacking; stacks

transitive verb

1
a
: to arrange in a stack : pile
b
: to pile in or on
stacked the table with books
stack the dishwasher
2
a
: to arrange secretly for cheating
stack a deck of cards
b
: to arrange or fix so as to make a particular result likely
the odds are stacked against us
will stack juries to suit themselvesPatrice Horn
3
a
: to assign (an airplane) by radio to a particular altitude and position within a group circling before landing
b
: to put into a waiting line
another dozen rigs are stacked up and waitingP. H. Hutchins, Jr.
4
: compare
used with against
such a crime is nothing when stacked against a murderPete Censky

intransitive verb

: to form a stack
stacker noun

Examples of stack in a Sentence

Noun He had arranged the letters in stacks. She took a magazine from near the top of the stack. Verb She spent the afternoon splitting and stacking firewood. She stacked the plates in the cupboard. He stacked the books on the table. The other players accused him of stacking the deck.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
The Trenton Channel power plant stacks went out with a bang. Susan Selasky, Detroit Free Press, 15 Mar. 2024 The pages piled up in orderly stacks in the office in his suburban house. Ian Frazier, The New Yorker, 12 Mar. 2024 To transform it into a topping worthy of a short stack, the sap must be boiled down to a much sweeter 66 percent sugar, a process that takes many hours and lots of horsepower. Ashley Stimpson, Washington Post, 12 Mar. 2024 The journalist wore a long-sleeve dress with a plunging V-neck and black pumps, and added sparkle with a stack of bracelets, layered chokers and a classic Chanel clutch. Bailey Richards, Peoplemag, 10 Mar. 2024 The most notable were a series of vintage Hollywood tales — about his father, Wallace Fox Sr., and his father’s brothers — that had been forgotten like a stack of dusty unsold scripts. Erik Himmelsbach-Weinstein, Los Angeles Times, 7 Mar. 2024 The Midnights songstress, meanwhile, rocked a graphic T-shirt, an oversized jean jacket and stack of dainty gold necklaces. Bailey Richards, Peoplemag, 2 Mar. 2024 Second, conduct a risk analysis of your tech stack to see what areas need to be improved. Expert Panel®, Forbes, 1 Mar. 2024 Many records were donated to us after the fire, and a few small stacks survived with only minor damage. Jesse Locke, SPIN, 29 Feb. 2024
Verb
Chairs are stacked on top of tables in the dining room. The Indianapolis Star, 5 Mar. 2024 This fantastic Irish gambling site does a little bit of everything, including offering top-notch sports betting and casino games, as well as bonuses that keep your bankroll always stacked. Sponsored Content, The Mercury News, 5 Mar. 2024 And after several months of testing and post-testing use, this machine’s no-fuss performance has kept us stacking it night after night. Samson McDougall, Parents, 5 Mar. 2024 Recognize too that stacking these small wins can still take you to some incredible places. Cindy Kuzma, SELF, 4 Mar. 2024 The best supporting actress category at the Oscars is stacked. Helena Andrews-Dyer, Washington Post, 2 Mar. 2024 Milwaukee has struggled with consistency this season, often failing at stacking impressive victories. Brian Sampson, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2024 The iPhone 14 Pro, for example, has seven lens elements (layers of glass or plexiglass) stacked above the camera sensor. Julian Chokkattu, WIRED, 26 Feb. 2024 Some storage is designed to be stacked to save floor space. Kevin Brouillard, Travel + Leisure, 21 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'stack.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English stak, from Old Norse stakkr; akin to Russian stog stack and probably to Old English staca stake

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of stack was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near stack

Cite this Entry

“Stack.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stack. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

stack

1 of 2 noun
1
: a large pile (as of hay, straw, or grain) usually shaped like a cone
2
a
: an orderly pile of objects usually one on top of the other
a stack of dishes
b
: a large number or amount
3
4
: a structure with shelves for storing books
usually used in plural

stack

2 of 2 verb
: to arrange in or form a stack : pile
stacked the dishes on the table
stacker noun

More from Merriam-Webster on stack

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