What does stack mean?
A stack is a pile of things placed one on top of another, such as books, plates, or folded clothes. The word also commonly means a large quantity of something: there may be a stack of forms waiting to be completed or a stack of evidence to examine. In technical contexts, especially computing, a stack is an ordered collection in which items are added and removed from one end according to a particular principle, usually the most recently added item first. As a verb, to stack means to arrange objects in layers or to accumulate them: goods may stack up in a warehouse, while people informally say that an activity stacks up because it becomes increasingly demanding. The word is useful both for describing physical arrangements and for conveying the idea of accumulation, order, and sometimes pressure.
A pile of objects arranged in layers or one on top of another; also a large quantity of something or a structured sequence of items.
"There was a stack of unopened envelopes on the desk."
In computing, the term refers to an ordered data structure or an active sequence of function calls.
To arrange objects in a pile or to accumulate in quantity.
"They stacked the boxes beside the entrance."
Informally, 'stack up' can mean to become more numerous, difficult, or demanding.
The regular plural is used for literal piles, large quantities, and computing structures.
"The shelves held several stacks of carefully labeled files."
From an Old Norse word meaning a haystack, 'stack' grew from a literal pile into a symbol for everything we accumulate, from plates to computer data.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does stack come from?
The English word comes from Middle English stack, borrowed from Old Norse stakkr, meaning a haystack or pile. Old Norse stakkr developed from a Germanic root associated with a pile or upright object. The word is related to forms such as stake and has parallels in other Germanic languages. Its modern figurative meanings developed from the ordinary sense of objects arranged one above another.
Related word forms
How stack is actually used
The noun is common in everyday English for a literal pile and figuratively for a large quantity. In computing, 'stack' usually refers to a last-in, first-out data structure or an ordered sequence of function calls. As a verb, 'stack' can mean to arrange items in a pile and, informally, to increase in quantity.
Easily confused with stack
A stack is a pile of objects, while a stake is a sharpened post or a financial interest or wager.