n.

1. An orderly pile, especially one arranged in layers: a stack of newspapers. See Synonyms at heap.

2. A large, usually conical pile of straw or fodder arranged for outdoor storage.

3. Computers A section of memory and its associated registers used for temporary storage of information in which the item most recently stored is the first to be retrieved.

4. A group of three rifles supporting each other, butt downward and forming a cone.

6. A vertical exhaust pipe, as on a ship or locomotive.

8. A stackup.

9. An English measure of coal or cut wood, equal to 108 cubic feet (3.06 cubic meters).

10. Informal A large quantity: a stack of work to do.

v.tr.

1. To arrange in a stack; pile.

2. To load or cover with stacks or piles: stacked the dishwasher.

4. To direct (aircraft) to circle at different altitudes while waiting to land.

v.intr.

To form a stack: Make sure the boxes stack neatly against the wall.

stack up Informal

1. To measure up or equal: Their gift doesn't stack up against his.

2. To make sense; add up: Her report just doesn't stack up.

n

1. an ordered pile or heap

2. (Agriculture) a large orderly pile of hay, straw, etc, for storage in the open air

3. (Library Science & Bibliography) (often plural) library science compactly spaced bookshelves, used to house collections of books in an area usually prohibited to library users

4. (Aeronautics) Also called: stack-up a number of aircraft circling an airport at different altitudes, awaiting their signal to land

5. a large amount: a stack of work.

6. (Military) military a pile of rifles or muskets in the shape of a cone

7. (Units) Brit a measure of coal or wood equal to 108 cubic feet

9. (Building) a vertical pipe, such as the funnel of a ship or the soil pipe attached to the side of a building

10. (Physical Geography) a high column of rock, esp one isolated from the mainland by the erosive action of the sea

11. (Computer Science) an area in a computer memory for temporary storage

vb (tr)

12. to place in a stack; pile: to stack bricks on a lorry.

13. to load or fill up with piles of something: to stack a lorry with bricks.

14. (Aeronautics) to control (a number of aircraft waiting to land at an airport) so that each flies at a different altitude

15. (Card Games) stack the cards to prearrange the order of a pack of cards secretly so that the deal will benefit someone

13.

a. a given quantity of chips that can be bought at one time, as in poker.

b. the quantity of chips held by a player at a given point.

19. stack up,

a. to control the flight patterns of airplanes waiting to land at an airport so that each circles at a designated altitude.

b. to compare; measure up (often fol. by against).

c. to add up.

stack the deck,

a. to arrange cards or a pack of cards so as to cheat.

b. to manipulate events, information, etc., esp. unethically, in order to achieve a desired result.

1. 'heap'

A heap of things is usually untidy, and often has the shape of a hill or mound.

The building collapsed into a heap of rubble.

2. 'stack'

A stack is usually tidy, and often consists of flat objects placed directly on top of each other.

...a neat stack of dishes.

Eric came out of his room with a small stack of CDs in his hands.

3. 'pile'

A pile of things can be tidy or untidy.

...a neat pile of clothes.

He reached over to a pile of newspapers and magazines