stockpile

noun stock·pile \ ˈstäk-ˌpī(-ə)l \

Updated on: 22 May 2018

Definition of stockpile

: a storage pile: such as

a : a reserve supply of something essential accumulated within a country for use during a shortage

b : a gradually accumulated reserve of something

avert stockpiles of unsold cars
—Bert Pierce

See stockpile defined for English-language learners

See stockpile defined for kids

Examples of stockpile in a Sentence

a stockpile of medical supplies
an emergency stockpile of potable water and canned goods in the cellar

Recent Examples of stockpile from the Web

This small town of 20,000 might seem an unlikely place for the world’s largest maker of insulin to build a stockpile of drugs needed to fight a chronic disease affecting 30 million Americans.

— max blau, STAT, "In the ‘diabetes belt,’ a small town grapples with growth of the world’s largest insulin maker," 15 May 2018
Unfortunately, the subsequent deal struck by the United States and Russia to remove Assad’s chemical-weapons stockpiles was full of loopholes, weakly enforced, and ultimately circumvented by Syrian and Russian deception.

— junot díaz, The New Yorker, "Trump’s Erratic Threats to Bashar al-Assad," 15 Apr. 2018
Syria began developing its chemical weapons program in the 1970s with help from the Soviet Union in Egypt, and was believed to have one of the largest stockpiles in the world.

— margaret hartmann, Daily Intelligencer, "What Really Happened in the Douma Chemical Attack?," 12 Apr. 2018
Stories like Tuesday’s get thrown into a small but constantly referenced stockpile of arguments advocating the banning of an entire country of people.

— mitra jouhari, Teen Vogue, "Don't Focus on the YouTube Shooter's Nationality. Focus on Her Deeds.," 6 Apr. 2018
Last September, Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed that all of Russia's chemical weapons stockpiles were gone.

— sean gallagher, Ars Technica, "NATO leaders unite in blaming Russia for nerve agent attack on ex-spy," 15 Mar. 2018
It is used in this country at nuclear stockpiles, military facilities and federal prisons.

— peggy fikac, San Antonio Express-News, "Lupe Valdez, Andrew White brag on their records but get jabs on them, too," 3 May 2018
The safe play would have been to trade down, minimize risk, stockpile picks, build the program from the base up.

— greg moore, azcentral, "Moore: Josh Rosen pick shows 'no risk it, no biscuit' era isn't over in Arizona," 26 Apr. 2018
The dictator made no mention of giving up the country's nuclear stockpile, variously estimated to contain between 20 and 100 warheads.

— author: joby warrick, Anchorage Daily News, "Suspicious factory underscores challenge of verifying North Korea’s nuclear promises," 22 Apr. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'stockpile.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of stockpile

1872

in the meaning defined above

See Words from the same year

NEW! Time Traveler

stockpile Synonyms

Synonyms

cache, hoard, stash, store;

inventory, pool, reserve, reservoir, stock;

provisions, resources;

accumulation, assemblage, collection, gathering, harvest;

repertory;

stockpile

verb

Definition of stockpile

transitive verb

1 : to place or store in or on a stockpile

2 : to accumulate a stockpile of

a country suspected of stockpiling weapons

—

stockpiler

noun

See stockpile defined for English-language learners

Examples of stockpile in a Sentence

The government stockpiled vaccines to prepare for a flu epidemic.
we should be able to stockpile enough vaccine for the upcoming flu season

Recent Examples of stockpile from the Web

Kevin Butcher, an ancient historian at the University of Warwick not involved in the study, tells her this raises the possibility that Rome occasionally overproduced and stockpiled coins.

— jason daley, Smithsonian, "Greenland’s Ice Provides a Year-By-Year Account of the Roman Empire’s Economy," 16 May 2018
And, instead of coming together, the two North American professional leagues — the National Women’s Hockey League and the Canadian Women’s Hockey League — seem to be stockpiling assets for a battle of attrition.

— seth berkman, New York Times, "Next Goal for American Women’s Hockey Stars? One United Pro League," 15 May 2018
Ron Fritz, sports editor: Without having a second-round pick after the trade with the Eagles Thursday, the Ravens were able to stockpile more picks and get an offensive tackle in Orlando Brown Jr., who was once considered a first-round pick.

— baltimoresun.com, "Instant analysis of Ravens third-round picks, OT Orlando Brown and TE Mark Andrews," 28 Apr. 2018
Companies refresh inventories Business stockpiling edit 0.43 percentage points to growth as companies replenished inventories.

— paul davidson, USA TODAY, "Economy grew solid 2.3% in Q1," 27 Apr. 2018
In the days and hours leading up to the transaction, prosecutors said at trial, HSBC traders in London and New York—working at Mr. Johnson’s direction—stockpiled millions of pounds in HSBC accounts.

— rebecca davis o’brien, WSJ, "Former HSBC Executive Sentenced to Two Years Following ‘Front-Running’ Conviction," 26 Apr. 2018
In our own lives, do the hundreds of billions of dollars spent each year to develop and stockpile weapons make us and our families safer from street violence or unexpected illness?

— izumi nakamitsu, Time, "Global Military Spending Has Doubled but the World Is No Safer," 25 Apr. 2018
The predawn attack Saturday targeted three Syrian sites that the Pentagon said were used to research, produce or stockpile chemical agents.

— cathleen decker, latimes.com, "As U.S. attacks Syria, Congress looks on cautiously and hopes for a quick conclusion," 14 Apr. 2018
While the rest of us will be busy breaking out the Paas egg kits or stockpiling Cadbury chocolates, the pop star has something glitzier planned.

— janelle okwodu, Vogue, "Forget the Painted Eggs: This Is How Miley Cyrus Does Easter," 30 Mar. 2018