stack

1 of 2

noun

ˈstak 

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 themselves

—Patrice 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 waiting

—P. H. Hutchins, Jr.

4

: compare

—used with against

such a crime is nothing when stacked against a murder

—Pete Censky

intransitive verb

: to form a stack

stacker noun

Synonyms

Noun

• loads
• ton
• pile
• dozen
• plenty
• slew
• deal
• chunk
• bunch
• raft
• wealth
• quantity
• bundle
• lot

Verb

• pile

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 artist Ernest Crichlow summons the memory of the sculptor Augusta Savage, whose studio, in a Harlem basement—amid furnaces and stacks of coal—was a paradise of enlightenment and a hive of creative effort. —Richard Brody, New Yorker, 23 Sep. 2025

Diane pulled out a sheet from a stack of papers, and it was all crumpled up with the lyrics to the song. —Kyle Denis, Billboard, 23 Sep. 2025

Verb

The bags contain lightweight material that absorb water and expands and can be stacked just like regular bags, as can the barriers which come in a variety of lengths. —Ashley Miznazi, Miami Herald, 24 Sep. 2025

Wrap each box in festive paper or paint it with Halloween motifs, number them, and stack them in a decorative pyramid or spread them across a shelf. —Elizabeth Fogarty, Better Homes & Gardens, 24 Sep. 2025

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

Phrases Containing stack

• blow one's stack
• chimney stack
• stack the odds against (someone)
• stack the odds in favor of (someone)
• stack the odds in someone's favor
• stack up

Rhymes for stack

• ack
• brack
• clack
• crack
• dak
• flack
• flak
• hack
• jack
• knack
• lac
• lack

Kids Definition

stack

1 of 2 noun

ˈstak 

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

: chimney sense 1, smokestack

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