stackable

IPA/ˈstæk.ə.bəl/
IPA/ˈstæk.ə.bəl/

stackable — adjective

  • stackablepositive
  • more stackablecomparative
  • most stackablesuperlative

1. made so matching items can be piled safely in an upright group to save storage s

1.adjectiveB2
Definition

made so matching items can be piled safely in an upright group to save storage space.

Example

Mira chose stackable stools for the crowded noodle shop.

stackable + furniture noun

The bakery keeps stackable trays beside the oven after lunch rush.

stackable + tray noun

Common collocations
  • stackable chair
  • stackable stool
  • stackable tray
  • stackable box
  • stackable bin
  • stackable cup
Synonyms
  • stacking

    common in product labels for items meant to be piled after use

  • nestable

    different design — items fit inside each other rather than sitting one above another

  • space-saving

    broader and less exact; it does not say that the item can be piled

Antonyms
  • non-stackable

    not designed to be piled safely

  • bulky

    takes up more room and is harder to store compactly

Grammar Patterns

stackable + noun

be + stackable

stackable for storage

Usage Note

Usually describes similar objects sold or stored in sets, such as chairs, trays, boxes, bins, or cups. It emphasizes that the design lets them sit one above another neatly after use.

Common Mistakes

The new plates are stacked, so they fit in the small cupboard.
The new plates are stackable, so they fit in the small cupboard.
stacked describes their position now; stackable describes a design that lets them pile neatly.
We need stackable for the meeting room.
We need stackable chairs for the meeting room.
stackable is usually an adjective before a noun, not a noun by itself.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

Stackable is used for objects designed to sit safely one above another so they use less room in storage. It is common for chairs, trays, cups, and boxes that are sold or put away in sets. Nestable is different: nestable items slide inside each other, like mixing bowls or empty plastic crates, instead of making a vertical pile. Foldable describes something that becomes smaller by bending or closing it, such as a stroller or table. Space-saving is broader and less exact, because it only tells you the item uses less room. In a catalog, stackable chairs are piled after an event, while nestable bins are slipped into each other when they are empty.

stackable ↗nestablefoldable ↗space-saving

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

  • easily stackable
  • neatly stackable
  • safely stackable

Phrases

  • stackable storage bins
  • stackable chairs
  • stackable design

Etymology

Old NorseFrenchLatinEnglish

Formed in English from stack plus the suffix -able, meaning 'able to be'. Stack comes from a Scandinavian root related to Old Norse stakkr, used for a pile or heap, while -able entered English through French and Latin. Together they create an adjective for things designed to be piled neatly for storage.

First known use

1958

1958, in the meaning defined above