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
stacked; stacking; stacks
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
Patrice Horn3
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.
P. H. Hutchins, Jr.4
: compare
—used with against
such a crime is nothing when stacked against a murder—Pete Censky
Pete Censky
: 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
Alicia Adamczyk, Fortune, 28 June 2025
Simply stir the zingy horseradish sauce together, and stack layers of the cold cuts and fresh veggies to build a roast beef sandwich better than anything Publix can offer.
—Kimberly Holland, Southern Living, 28 June 2025
Ellise Shafer, Variety, 30 June 2025
Middle Eastern shawarma is usually prepared with thin cuts of seasoned meat that is stacked and grilled on a spit.
—Sarah Martens, Better Homes & Gardens, 29 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for stack
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Noun
The end result was a stack of decisions deferring to Trump.
—Alicia Adamczyk, Fortune, 28 June 2025
Simply stir the zingy horseradish sauce together, and stack layers of the cold cuts and fresh veggies to build a roast beef sandwich better than anything Publix can offer.
—Kimberly Holland, Southern Living, 28 June 2025
Verb
Indie Sleaze Returns in Full Force Fans of early 2000s and 2010s indie rock had their plates full this year, with a lineup stacked with bands that did numbers on Tumblr back in the day.
—Ellise Shafer, Variety, 30 June 2025
Middle Eastern shawarma is usually prepared with thin cuts of seasoned meat that is stacked and grilled on a spit.
—Sarah Martens, Better Homes & Gardens, 29 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for stack
Cite this Entry
“Stack.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stack. Accessed 12 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
stack
1 of 2 noun1
: 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
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
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