/ stæk; NAmE / noun , verb
■ noun
1.
[ C ] a pile of sth, usually neatly arranged :
a stack of books
a stack hi-fi system (= where radio, CD player, etc. are arranged on top of each other)
—see also haystack
2.
[ C ] stack (of sth) ( informal , especially BrE ) a large number or amount of sth; a lot of sth :
stacks of money
There's a stack of unopened mail waiting for you at the house.
I've got stacks of work to do.
3.
[ C ] a tall chimney , especially on a factory
—see also chimney stack , smokestack
4.
the stacks [ pl. ] the part of a library, sometimes not open to the public, where books that are not often needed are stored
5.
[ C ] ( computing ) a way of storing information in a computer in which the most recently stored item is the first to be retrieved (= found or got back)
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IDIOMS
see blow verb
■ verb
1.
stack (sth) (up) to arrange objects neatly in a pile; to be arranged in this way :
[ vn ]
to stack boxes
logs stacked up against a wall
[ v ]
Do these chairs stack?
stacking chairs
2.
[ vn ] stack sth (with sth) to fill sth with piles of things :
They were busy stacking the shelves with goods.
3.
[ v , vn ] stack (sth) (up) if aircraft stack (up) or are stacked (up) over an airport, there are several flying around waiting for their turn to land
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PHRASAL VERBS
- stack up
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WORD ORIGIN
Middle English : from Old Norse stakkr haystack, of Germanic origin.