stocktaking
/ˈstɒkteɪkɪŋ/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈstɑːkteɪkɪŋ/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈstäk-ˌtā-kiŋ/ (ame, mw)
stocktaking — noun
1. the activity of counting and recording every item that a shop, warehouse, or bus
the activity of counting and recording every item that a shop, warehouse, or business keeps in stock, usually performed at regular intervals to verify records and plan reordering.
The supermarket closes early on the last Sunday of every month for stocktaking.
stocktaking: uncountable, reason for closure
During stocktaking, Jun's team found that the warehouse held three times as many cartons as the computer listed.
stocktaking + found + discrepancy pattern
Retailers often hire temporary workers to help with the annual stocktaking.
A thorough stocktaking of the medical supplies revealed that antibiotics were dangerously low.
The store manager scheduled a full stocktaking after the inventory system crashed.
- inventory check
more general; can refer to a single item check rather than a full count
- stock check
more informal and often smaller in scope than stocktaking
文法句型
stocktaking + of [items/goods]
do stocktaking
stocktaking period
用法筆記
Uncountable — used without 'a' or 'an' in the singular. More common in British English; American English prefers 'taking inventory' or 'doing inventory'.
常見錯誤
2. a careful, honest examination of your own life, career, or situation in order to
a careful, honest examination of your own life, career, or situation in order to decide what direction to take next.
After losing the election, the party went through a period of quiet stocktaking.
period of stocktaking: common figurative frame
Dr. Okonkwo's sabbatical gave him time for serious stocktaking about his research goals.
stocktaking about: preposition pattern for topic
The end of the financial year is a natural moment for stocktaking in any small business.
A national stocktaking of education policy followed the disappointing test results.
After his divorce, Mr. Ogawa did some honest stocktaking of his priorities.
- reappraisal
slightly more formal; can be applied to objects and systems, not only personal situations
- self-assessment
narrower — strictly about one's own skills or performance, not broader life direction
- neglect
the opposite of giving a situation careful thought
文法句型
a period of stocktaking
stocktaking + on/about [situation]
用法筆記
This figurative sense is always used about a period of reflection, not a single decision. Unlike sense 1, it can appear with 'a' (a stocktaking of something). Retains the slow, methodical feel of the original inventory meaning.