stack
stack — verb
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.
- scatter
to spread items out rather than arranging them together
文法句型
stack + noun phrase
stack + noun phrase + preposition (on/in/against)
用法筆記
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.
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.
- empty
to remove all contents from a space
文法句型
be stacked with + noun phrase
stack + noun phrase + with + noun phrase
用法筆記
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.
Passengers grew frustrated as planes stacked in a queue above Heathrow for hours.
文法句型
stack (aircraft) + preposition (above/over)
be stacked + preposition (above/over/at)
用法筆記
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.
Critics say the tax system is stacked to benefit large corporations.
- 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
文法句型
stack + noun phrase (deck/cards/odds)
be stacked against/in favour of + noun phrase
用法筆記
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 — noun
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.
文法句型
stack + of + noun phrase
用法筆記
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.
常見錯誤
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.
文法句型
stacks + of + noun phrase
a stack + of + noun phrase
用法筆記
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).
常見錯誤
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.
Only graduate students were allowed into the closed stacks behind the reading room.
- 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
文法句型
the stacks (plural as area)
stack + area/room
用法筆記
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.
常見錯誤
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.
- holding pattern
refers to the circular route each plane flies; a stack consists of multiple planes in holding patterns at different levels
文法句型
stack + of + noun (aircraft/planes)
用法筆記
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.
The algorithm pushes each character onto a stack and pops them out in reverse order.
- 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
文法句型
a stack (data structure)
push/pop onto/from a stack
用法筆記
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.
常見錯誤
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.
- 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
文法句型
[name] + stack (e.g. MEAN stack, LAMP stack)
the + [function] + stack
用法筆記
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.
常見錯誤
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.
A reliable data-storage stack is essential for any e-commerce website.
- platform
broader; platform can include hardware and non-technical business systems
- infrastructure
focuses on hardware and networking rather than the full service layer
用法筆記
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.
Lucía built her creative stack around Adobe products, a drawing tablet, and a colour-calibrated monitor.
The hospital's IT stack manages patient records, appointment scheduling, and billing all at once.
用法筆記
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.
用法筆記
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.
用法筆記
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.
用法筆記
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.
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.
用法筆記
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.