stack
stack — verb
- stackpresent simple I / you / we / they
- stacks3rd person singular
- stacking-ing form
- stackedpast simple
1. to put objects on top of each other in an orderly pile or series of piles.
to put objects on top of each other in an orderly pile or series of piles.
Nikos stacked the firewood against the shed wall before the storm arrived.
stack + noun phrase + against [surface]
The books were stacked neatly on the library cart by subject.
passive: be stacked + on [surface]
Lara stacked the dirty plates in the sink after the party ended.
The children stacked their wooden blocks until the tower reached the table lamp.
Constanza stacked the chairs onto the trolley and pushed them to the storage room.
stack + noun phrase + onto [destination]
- stack neatly
- stack on top of
- stack against the wall
- stack in the corner
- stack high
- scatter
to spread items out rather than arranging them together
Grammar Patterns
stack + noun phrase
stack + noun phrase + preposition (on/in/against)
Usage Note
Frequently used with prepositions of location: on, in, against, onto. The object is usually a set of flat or stackable items (plates, books, boxes, wood).
2. to fill a space, shelf, or container by putting many objects into or onto it, of
to fill a space, shelf, or container by putting many objects into or onto it, often until no space remains.
The pantry shelves were stacked with cans of soup and boxes of pasta.
passive: be stacked with [contents]
Yumi stacked the fridge with containers of leftovers from the weekend party.
stack + [container] + with [contents]
Shanti stacked the freezer with boxes of frozen vegetables for the weekend rush.
animate subject: stack + [container] + with [contents]
The storage unit was stacked floor to ceiling with furniture nobody wanted.
Zayd stacked the back of his van with equipment for the camping trip.
- stacked with
- stacked high with
- stack full
- stack to the ceiling
- empty
to remove all contents from a space
Grammar Patterns
be stacked with + noun phrase
stack + noun phrase + with + noun phrase
Usage Note
Very common in the passive construction be stacked with + noun. The active form (stack + [container/space] + with [contents]) is also frequent and always takes an animate subject.
3. of an aircraft: to fly in circles at a set altitude on instructions from air tra
of an aircraft: to fly in circles at a set altitude on instructions from air traffic control until landing is cleared; also said of controllers who assign such holding patterns.
The plane stacked above the airport for forty minutes before getting clearance to land.
intransitive: plane + stack + above [location]
Air traffic control stacked three jets at six thousand feet over the runway.
transitive: control + stack + [aircraft] + at [altitude]
Flights were stacked up over Chicago when the radar system went down.
passive: be stacked up over [location]
Passengers grew frustrated as planes stacked in a queue above Heathrow for hours.
- stack above
- stack over
- stack up
- stack in a holding pattern
- stack at altitude
Grammar Patterns
stack (aircraft) + preposition (above/over)
be stacked + preposition (above/over/at)
Usage Note
Often paired with up in the phrasal form stack up. The transitive sense (air traffic control stacks planes) is less common in general use but standard in aviation contexts.
4. to arrange something, such as a set of cards, a competition, or a situation, in
to arrange something, such as a set of cards, a competition, or a situation, in a dishonest way so that one side has an unfair advantage or disadvantage.
The gambler stacked the deck and won every hand that evening.
stack the deck — cheat by arranging cards
The competition was stacked in favour of the host team from the very start.
passive: be stacked in favour of [party]
Tuan accused the referee of stacking the odds against the visiting players.
stack the odds against [someone]
Critics say the tax system is stacked to benefit large corporations.
passive: be stacked + infinitive of purpose
- stack the deck
- stack the cards
- stack the odds
- stacked against
- stacked in favour of
- rig
broader; rig can apply to equipment or elections, not just cards
- fix
similar meaning but more informal in this context
- manipulate
more general; does not necessarily imply cheating
- level
to make fair or even
Grammar Patterns
stack + noun phrase (deck/cards/odds)
be stacked against/in favour of + noun phrase
Usage Note
The sense is primarily realised in the fixed expressions 'stack the deck/cards/odds' and the passive 'be stacked against/in favour of'. The idiom 'stack the deck' (see this sense) is the most common manifestation — the literal act of arranging playing cards dishonestly is rare outside gambling contexts; the figurative use ('the system is stacked against us') is far more frequent.
stack up
phrasal verbto accumulate or increase to a large amount; or to compare with something else in terms of quality or performance.
The bills started to stack up while Ishaan was waiting for his first pay cheque.
How does the new software stack up against the version from last year?
blow your stack
idiomto become extremely angry, often losing control of yourself.
Charlotte blew her stack when she found out someone had taken her laptop.
The manager blew his stack after seeing the quarterly sales figures.
to be in a situation where you are very unlikely to succeed because the conditions are unfavourable.
Eli had the cards stacked against him, but he passed the exam anyway.
The medical team knew the odds were stacked against the patient's recovery.
stack — noun
- stacksingular
- stacksplural
1. a group of items placed neatly on top of one another, such as plates, books, or
a group of items placed neatly on top of one another, such as plates, books, or papers set in a single column.
Élise placed a stack of clean plates on the kitchen counter before dinner.
countable: a stack of + concrete noun
The librarian carried a tall stack of returned books back to the shelves.
Tariq noticed a stack of old letters tied with ribbon in the attic.
On her desk sat a neat stack of exam papers waiting to be marked.
adjective + stack: neat / tall / tidy stack
- a stack of plates
- a stack of books
- a stack of papers
- a neat stack
- a tall stack
Grammar Patterns
stack + of + noun phrase
Usage Note
Commonly combined with adjectives like neat, tidy, tall, or orderly to describe how the items are arranged. The noun that follows of is almost always concrete and countable.
Common Mistakes
2. a very large number or quantity of something, often work, money, or problems tha
a very large number or quantity of something, often work, money, or problems that feel like a burden.
Hao has stacks of work to finish before the deadline next Friday.
stacks of + abstract noun (work, paperwork)
The charity received a stack of donations after the news report aired on television.
Adaeze saved stacks of money by cooking at home instead of eating out every day.
There are a whole stack of reasons why the plan needs more review.
a whole stack of + plural noun (emphatic)
- a stack of work
- stacks of money
- a stack of problems
- stacks of paperwork
Grammar Patterns
stacks + of + noun phrase
a stack + of + noun phrase
Usage Note
Often appears in the plural form stacks of, especially in informal speech, to emphasise a very large quantity. Works with both concrete nouns (stacks of cash) and abstract nouns (stacks of work).
Common Mistakes
3. a tall set of bookshelves in a library where books are kept together, with narro
a tall set of bookshelves in a library where books are kept together, with narrow walkways between the rows to hold a large number of volumes.
The first edition was hidden in the stacks on the third floor of the library.
the stacks (plural as a specific area)
Sumin spent the whole afternoon searching through the stacks for a book on ancient pottery.
The university library's main stack room held over a hundred thousand history journals.
stack room (compound noun)
Only graduate students were allowed into the closed stacks behind the reading room.
- the stacks
- stack room
- closed stacks
- main stacks
- library stacks
- bookshelves
a general term without the implication of a compact, narrow-aisled storage system
- shelving
uncountable; refers to the system of shelves rather than a specific section
Grammar Patterns
the stacks (plural as area)
stack + area/room
Usage Note
When referring to the shelving area as a whole, the plural the stacks is common. Compound nouns such as stack room or stack area describe the physical space.
Common Mistakes
4. airplanes flying in circles at different heights above an airport while awaiting
airplanes flying in circles at different heights above an airport while awaiting permission to land, managed by air traffic control to keep a safe distance between them.
Bad weather over Chicago caused a stack of ten planes waiting to land at O'Hare.
stack of + number + planes (aviation term)
The pilot announced their flight was fourth in the stack with a thirty-minute delay.
ordinal + in the stack
Air traffic controllers managed the stack carefully to keep every plane at a safe distance.
- a stack of planes
- in the stack
- number one in the stack
- stack approach
- holding pattern
refers to the circular route each plane flies; a stack consists of multiple planes in holding patterns at different levels
Grammar Patterns
stack + of + noun (aircraft/planes)
Usage Note
A technical term in aviation. The planes are assigned different altitudes within the stack to avoid collision. Outside of aviation contexts, this sense is very rare.
5. a computer programming structure that follows a last-in-first-out rule — the new
a computer programming structure that follows a last-in-first-out rule — the newest piece of data put in gets taken out before anything added earlier.
The programming exercise required Sivan to implement a stack using JavaScript arrays.
implement a stack (computing task)
A stack manages function calls so the program returns to the correct place each time.
Pressing the back button on a browser pops the previous page off the history stack.
pop off the stack (LIFO operation)
The algorithm pushes each character onto a stack and pops them out in reverse order.
push/pop (standard stack operations)
- implement a stack
- push onto a stack
- pop from a stack
- call stack
- stack data structure
- LIFO queue
technically less precise because a queue typically implies FIFO; LIFO structure is the more accurate label
- queue
a FIFO (first-in-first-out) data structure, the opposite order of retrieval
Grammar Patterns
a stack (data structure)
push/pop onto/from a stack
Usage Note
The term is often used with the verbs push (to add an item) and pop (to remove the top item). The acronym LIFO (last in, first out) is commonly used alongside this sense in textbooks.
Common Mistakes
6. the group of programming languages, frameworks, and software tools that work tog
the group of programming languages, frameworks, and software tools that work together to build and run a website, mobile app, or digital service.
The team chose a JavaScript stack with React and Node.js for their web app.
[language] stack (named technology combination)
Lara's company uses a full stack with a database, server, and front-end framework.
full stack (all layers combined)
The IT department is updating the software stack to improve speed and security.
Justin learned the Python stack — Django plus PostgreSQL — during his summer internship at a startup.
- tech stack
- full stack
- software stack
- front-end stack
- LAMP stack
- MEAN stack
- platform
broader term that may include hardware; stack specifically highlights the layered software components
- technology stack
the full phrase for this sense, often shortened to just stack in technical conversations
Grammar Patterns
[name] + stack (e.g. MEAN stack, LAMP stack)
the + [function] + stack
Usage Note
Commonly used in compound terms: full stack (all layers of development), front-end stack, back-end stack, and named stacks like LAMP or MEAN. This sense is distinct from sense 5 (data structure) — sense 6 refers to the broader collection of technologies, not a specific memory model.
Common Mistakes
7. the complete set of technology services, from the operating system up through th
the complete set of technology services, from the operating system up through the application layer, that work together to create and operate a specific software product or website.
The LAMP stack uses Linux, Apache, MySQL, and PHP to run websites.
LAMP stack — named service stack (Linux, Apache, MySQL, PHP)
Sahil chose a cloud service stack with AWS, Docker, and PostgreSQL for his startup.
cloud service stack — hosted infrastructure services
The team updated the monitoring stack to catch errors before users noticed them.
The developers debated whether to switch their front-end stack from React to Vue.
front-end stack — client-side technology layer
A reliable data-storage stack is essential for any e-commerce website.
- technology stack
- service stack
- cloud stack
- LAMP stack
- full stack
- monitoring stack
- upgrade the stack
- platform
broader; platform can include hardware and non-technical business systems
- infrastructure
focuses on hardware and networking rather than the full service layer
Usage Note
Commonly preceded by the name of a specific technology or platform (LAMP stack, AWS stack, MEAN stack). Can be shortened to just stack when the context is clear (e.g., 'We need to upgrade the stack').
8. all of the software programs and digital platforms that someone depends on to ca
all of the software programs and digital platforms that someone depends on to carry out their work and reach their aims.
Talia's company uses a stack of tools including Slack, Notion, and Jira.
stack of [tools/apps] — collection of business software
Kenji showed Marco his personal software stack for video editing and sound mixing.
The marketing team adopted a new analytics stack to track campaign performance.
analytics stack — software tools for data analysis
Lucía built her creative stack around Adobe products, a drawing tablet, and a colour-calibrated monitor.
creative stack — design and multimedia tools
The hospital's IT stack manages patient records, appointment scheduling, and billing all at once.
- software stack
- tool stack
- marketing stack
- analytics stack
- design stack
- productivity stack
Usage Note
Broader than sense 7 — this refers to any collection of software tools for a purpose, not necessarily the infrastructure layer of a single product. Often used with a domain-specific modifier: design stack, marketing stack, analytics stack.
9. a planned combination of physical exercises, foods, or nutritional supplements t
a planned combination of physical exercises, foods, or nutritional supplements that a sportsperson follows to improve or maintain their physical condition.
Jabari follows a stack of weightlifting exercises three times per week.
stack of [exercises] — structured training routine
The athlete's nutrition stack includes protein shakes, vitamins, and electrolyte drinks.
nutrition stack — dietary and supplement combination
Apinya added yoga and swimming to her fitness stack for better endurance.
Selim's morning stack starts with stretching, followed by a short run and a protein breakfast.
The coach designed a recovery stack of ice baths, massage, and sleep tracking for the team.
recovery stack — post-training regimen
- fitness stack
- exercise stack
- nutrition stack
- supplement stack
- training stack
- add to your stack
Usage Note
Used especially in sports and fitness coaching contexts. When referring to supplements (a supplement stack), it carries a connotation of deliberate, sometimes experimental, combinations rather than a standard diet.
10. a tall, narrow pillar of rock that stands alone in the sea near a coast, created
a tall, narrow pillar of rock that stands alone in the sea near a coast, created when waves gradually wear away the softer parts of a cliff and leave the harder rock behind.
Old Harry Rocks is a famous sea stack on the coast of southern England.
sea stack — isolated rock pillar formed by wave erosion
The sea stack stood against the waves for thousands of years before collapsing.
Tourists took photos of the towering stack from the clifftop path above the beach.
Erosion slowly carved the base of the stack until the top broke off and fell into the water.
The islands are famous for their dramatic stacks that rise straight out of the ocean.
- sea stack
- towering stack
- coastal stack
- stack of rock
- isolated stack
Usage Note
A technical term in geography and coastal studies. Sea stacks are often named individually (e.g., the Twelve Apostles in Australia). The word arch, cave, and stump describe earlier and later stages of the same erosional process.
11. a road accident involving one or more vehicles, especially one that results in d
a road accident involving one or more vehicles, especially one that results in damage to the cars involved.
A three-car stack on the motorway caused traffic delays of over an hour.
multi-car stack — pile-up on the road
Felix was shaken but not hurt after the stack on the icy mountain road.
Nobody was injured in the stack, but all four cars needed expensive repairs.
Jessica called the police right after witnessing a bad stack at the intersection.
The truck driver was blamed for the stack because he had been driving too fast in the rain.
- car stack
- motorway stack
- three-car stack
- multiple stack
- stack accident
Usage Note
Originally British and Australian slang, now quite widely understood. A stack often implies multiple vehicles colliding in a chain (a pile-up) rather than a single-car accident. More informal than crash or collision.
12. a tall vertical pipe or chimney on a building, factory, or ship, through which s
a tall vertical pipe or chimney on a building, factory, or ship, through which smoke, gases, or steam are released into the air.
The factory stack released a thin stream of white smoke into the grey sky.
factory stack — tall smokestack on an industrial building
Camille could see the old brick stack from her bedroom window across the river.
New environmental rules forced the plant to install filters on its main stack.
filters on the stack — pollution control equipment
Tanvi watched the dark smoke rising from the factory stack as she walked to school.
The old power plant had four stacks that could be seen from miles away.
- factory stack
- brick stack
- smoke stack
- tall stack
- stack emissions
- stack filter
Usage Note
Often used in the compound smokestack (especially in American English) where British English prefers chimney. The phrase smokestack industry refers to traditional heavy manufacturing (steel, cars, chemicals) rather than modern tech industries.
blow your top
idiomTo become extremely angry.
Mia blew her top when she saw the broken vase.
Did your dad blow his top after the car accident?
Word family
Common collocations
Phrases
- a stack of
- stacks of
- full stack
- stack up against
- stack the odds
- the stacks
- stack room
- tech stack
- software stack
Etymology
From Old Norse stakkr ('haystack, barn'), entering English through Middle English stack in the 13th century. The original meaning of a pile of hay gradually broadened to any orderly pile of objects. In the 20th century the word gained specialized senses in aviation (holding patterns for planes) and computing (a LIFO data structure, later extended to technology stacks — collections of software layers working together).