stock (stocks plural & 3rd person present) (stocking present participle) (stocked past tense & past participle )
1 n-count Stocks are shares in the ownership of a company, or investments on which a fixed amount of interest will be paid. (BUSINESS) usu pl
...the buying and selling of stocks and shares...
2 n-uncount A company's stock is the amount of money which the company has through selling shares. (BUSINESS) usu poss N
Two years later, when Compaq went public, their stock was valued at $38 million...
3 verb If a shop stocks particular goods, it keeps a supply of them to sell.
no cont
The shop stocks everything from cigarettes to recycled loo paper. V n
4 n-uncount A shop's stock is the total amount of goods which it has available to sell.
We took the decision to withdraw a quantity of stock from sale.
5 verb If you stock something such as a cupboard, shelf, or room, you fill it with food or other things.
I worked stocking shelves in a grocery store... V n
Some families stocked their cellars with food and water... V n with n
The kitchen cupboard was stocked with tins of soup. V-ed
Stock up means the same as stock., phrasal verb
I had to stock the boat up with food... V n P with n
Start planning for Christmas now by stocking up the freezer with some festive dishes. V P n (not pron) with n
6 n-count If you have a stockof things, you have a supply of them stored in a place ready to be used.
with supp, usu N of n
Stocks of ammunition were running low.
7 n-sing The stock of something is the total amount of it that is available in a particular area.
(mainly BRIT) with supp
...the stock of accommodation available to be rented.
8 n-uncount If you are from a particular stock, you are descended from a particular group of people.
FORMAL usu supp N
We are both from working class stock.
9 n-plural Stock are cattle, sheep, pigs, or other animals which are kept by a farmer, usually ones which have been specially bred.
(=livestock)
I am carefully selecting the breeding stock...
10 adj A stock answer, expression, or way of doing something is one that is very commonly used, especially because people cannot be bothered to think of something new.
ADJ n
(=standard)
My boss had a stock response<endash>`If it ain't broke, don't fix it!'...
11 n-mass Stock is a liquid, usually made by boiling meat, bones, or vegetables in water, that is used to give flavour to soups and sauces.
12
→
stocking
→
laughing stock
→
rolling stock
13 If goods are in stock, a shop has them available to sell. If they are out of stock, it does not.
in stock/out of stock phrase usu v-link PHR
Check that your size is in stock..., Lemon and lime juice were both temporarily out of stock.
14 If you take stock, you pause to think about all the aspects of a situation or event before deciding what to do next.
take stock phrase V inflects, usu PHR of n
It was time to take stock of the situation...
15
→
lock, stock, and barrel
→
barrel stock up
2 phrasal verb If you stock upon something, you buy a lot of it, in case you cannot get it later. The authorities have urged people to stock up on fuel... V P on/with n
common stock
Common stock refers to the shares in a company that are owned by people who have a right to vote at the company's meetings and to receive part of the company's profits after the holders of preferred stock have been paid.
(AM, BUSINESS) n-uncount
The company priced its offering of 2.7 million shares of common stock at 20 cents a share.
→
preferred stock
in BRIT use ordinary shares
joint-stock company (joint-stock companies plural )A joint-stock company is a company that is owned by the people who have bought shares in that company. (BUSINESS) n-count
laughing stock (laughing stocks plural ), laughing-stock If you say that a person or an organization has become alaughing stock, you mean that they are supposed to be important or serious but have been made to seem ridiculous. n-count
The truth must never get out. If it did she would be a laughing-stock., ...his policies became the laughing stock of the financial community.
preferred stock
Preferred stock is the same as preference shares.
(AM, BUSINESS) n-uncount
→
common stock
rolling stock
Rolling stock is all the engines and carriages that are used on a railway. n-uncount
Many stations needed repairs or rebuilding and there was a shortage of rolling stock.
stock car (stock cars plural )A stock car is an old car which has had changes made to it so that it is suitable for races in which the cars often crash into each other. n-count
He acted as grand marshal of a stock car race.
stock control
Stock control is the activity of making sure that a company always has exactly the right amount of goods available to sell. (BUSINESS) n-uncount
stock cube (stock cubes plural )A stock cube is a solid cube made from dried meat or vegetable juices and other flavourings. Stock cubes are used to add flavour to dishes such as stews and soups. n-count
stock exchange (stock exchanges plural )A stock exchange is a place where people buy and sell stocks and shares. Thestock exchange is also the trading activity that goes on there and the trading organization itself. (BUSINESS) n-count usu the N in sing
(=stock market)
The shortage of good stock has kept some investors away from the stock exchange., ...the New York Stock Exchange.
stock-in-trade , stock in trade
If you say that something is someone's stock-in-trade, you mean that it is a usual part of their behaviour or work. n-sing with poss
(=staple)
Patriotism is every politician's stock-in-trade...
stock market (stock markets plural )The stock market consists of the general activity of buying stocks and shares, and the people and institutions that organize it. (BUSINESS) n-count the N
The company's shares promptly fell by 300 lire on the stock market.
stock option (stock options plural )A stock option is an opportunity for the employees of a company to buy shares at a special price.
(AM, BUSINESS) n-count
He made a huge profit from the sale of shares purchased in January under the company's stock option program.
in BRIT use share option
stock-still
If someone stands or sits stock-still, they do not move at all. adj ADJ after v
The lieutenant stopped and stood stock-still.
