stock

/stɒk/ (UK), /stɑːk/ (US)

noun

  1. The goods that a shop or business has available to sell.

    A2

    usually uncountable

    • "The store has a large stock of winter clothing."A2
    • "The company is waiting for new stock to arrive before the weekend."B1

  2. A supply of something kept ready for use.

    A2

    usually used with a or a quantity word

    • "She always keeps a stock of canned goods in her pantry."A2

  3. A share in a company, representing part ownership of it.

    B1

    countable; usually used as stocks in the plural

    • "He bought stock in a technology company."B1
    • "Investors sold their stocks after the company reported lower profits."B2

  4. A liquid made by cooking meat, bones, or vegetables, used as a base for soup or sauce.

    B1

    uncountable

    • "Add some chicken stock to the rice."B1

verb

  1. To supply a shop, warehouse, or business with goods for sale.

    B1

    transitive

    • "The supermarket stocks fresh bread every morning."B1
    • "The warehouse stocks a variety of electronic devices."B2

  2. To buy or collect a supply of something for future use, usually in the phrase stock up on.

    B1

    usually stock up on + noun

    • "Before the storm, residents stocked up on water and batteries."B2

adjective

  1. Standard, ordinary, or prepared in advance rather than specially created.

    B2

    usually before a noun

    • "He gave the stock answer that everything was fine."B2
    • "The actor relied on a stock phrase instead of answering the difficult question directly."C1

Common mistakes

  • The shop has many stocks.→The shop has a lot of stock.

    Use stock as an uncountable noun when you mean goods available for sale; use many items or products for countable things.

Collocations

in stockout of stockstock marketstock pricestock exchangestock optionsstock up onstock answer

Word family

stockbrokerstockholderstockholdingstockiststockpilestockroomstocktaking