stock
♦♦ stock /st'ɒk/ (stocks stocking stocked)
1 [N-COUNT] usu pl
Stocks are shares in the ownership of a company, or investments on which a fixed amount of interest will be paid. (BUSINESS)
...the buying and selling of stocks and shares...
2 [N-UNCOUNT] usu poss N
A company's stock is the amount of money which the company has through selling shares. (BUSINESS)
Two years later, when Compaq went public, their stock was valued at $38 million...
3 [VERB] no cont, V n
If a shop stocks particular goods, it keeps a supply of them to sell.
The shop stocks everything from cigarettes to recycled loo paper.
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] V n, V n with n, V-ed
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...
Some families stocked their cellars with food and water...
The kitchen cupboard was stocked with tins of soup.
[PHRASAL VERB] V n P with n, V P n (not pron) with n
Stock up means the same as stock.
I had to stock the boat up with food...
Start planning for Christmas now by stocking up the freezer with some festive dishes.
6 [N-COUNT] with supp, usu N of n
If you have a stock of things, you have a supply of them stored in a place ready to be used.
Stocks of ammunition were running low.
7 [N-SING] with supp
The stock of something is the total amount of it that is available in a particular area. (mainly BRIT)
...the stock of accommodation available to be rented.
8 [N-UNCOUNT] usu supp N
If you are from a particular stock, you are descended from a particular group of people. (FORMAL)
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.
I am carefully selecting the breeding stock...
= livestock
10 [ADJ] ADJ n
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.
My boss had a stock response-`If it ain't broke, don't fix it!'...
= standard
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
see also stocking, laughing stock,
13 [PHRASE] usu v-link PHR
If goods are in stock, a shop has them available to sell. If they are out of stock, it does not.
Check that your size is in stock...
Lemon and lime juice were both temporarily out of stock.
14 [PHRASE] V inflects, usu PHR of n
If you take stock, you pause to think about all the aspects of a situation or event before deciding what to do next.
It was time to take stock of the situation...
15
lock, stock, and barrel: see barrelcom|mon stock
[N-UNCOUNT]
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; in BRIT use ordinary shares)
The company priced its offering of 2.7 million shares of common stock at 20 cents a share.
see also preferred stocklaugh|ing stock (laughing stocks)
also laughing-stock
[N-COUNT]
If you say that a person or an organization has become a laughing stock, you mean that they are supposed to be important or serious but have been made to seem ridiculous.
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.pref|erred stock
[N-UNCOUNT]
Preferred stock is the same as preference shares. (AM BUSINESS)
see also common stockroll|ing stock
[N-UNCOUNT]
Rolling stock is all the engines and carriages that are used on a railway.
Many stations needed repairs or rebuilding and there was a shortage of rolling stock.stock car (stock cars)
[N-COUNT]
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.
He acted as grand marshal of a stock car race.stock con|trol
[N-UNCOUNT]
Stock control is the activity of making sure that a company always has exactly the right amount of goods available to sell. (BUSINESS)stock cube (stock cubes)
[N-COUNT]
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.♦ stock ex|change (stock exchanges)
[N-COUNT] usu the N in sing
A stock exchange is a place where people buy and sell stocks and shares. The stock exchange is also the trading activity that goes on there and the trading organization itself. (BUSINESS)
The shortage of good stock has kept some investors away from the stock exchange.
...the New York Stock Exchange.
= stock market♦ stock mar|ket (stock markets)
[N-COUNT] the N
The stock market consists of the general activity of buying stocks and shares, and the people and institutions that organize it. (BUSINESS)
The company's shares promptly fell by 300 lire on the stock market.stock op|tion (stock options)
[N-COUNT]
A stock option is an opportunity for the employees of a company to buy shares at a special price. (AM BUSINESS; in BRIT use share option)
He made a huge profit from the sale of shares purchased in January under the company's stock option program.stock up
1
see stock 5
2 [PHRASAL VERB] V P on/with n
If you stock up on something, you buy a lot of it, in case you cannot get it later.
The authorities have urged people to stock up on fuel...
1 [N-COUNT] usu pl
Stocks are shares in the ownership of a company, or investments on which a fixed amount of interest will be paid. (BUSINESS)
...the buying and selling of stocks and shares...
2 [N-UNCOUNT] usu poss N
A company's stock is the amount of money which the company has through selling shares. (BUSINESS)
Two years later, when Compaq went public, their stock was valued at $38 million...
3 [VERB] no cont, V n
If a shop stocks particular goods, it keeps a supply of them to sell.
The shop stocks everything from cigarettes to recycled loo paper.
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] V n, V n with n, V-ed
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...
Some families stocked their cellars with food and water...
The kitchen cupboard was stocked with tins of soup.
[PHRASAL VERB] V n P with n, V P n (not pron) with n
Stock up means the same as stock.
I had to stock the boat up with food...
Start planning for Christmas now by stocking up the freezer with some festive dishes.
6 [N-COUNT] with supp, usu N of n
If you have a stock of things, you have a supply of them stored in a place ready to be used.
Stocks of ammunition were running low.
7 [N-SING] with supp
The stock of something is the total amount of it that is available in a particular area. (mainly BRIT)
...the stock of accommodation available to be rented.
8 [N-UNCOUNT] usu supp N
If you are from a particular stock, you are descended from a particular group of people. (FORMAL)
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.
I am carefully selecting the breeding stock...
= livestock
10 [ADJ] ADJ n
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.
My boss had a stock response-`If it ain't broke, don't fix it!'...
= standard
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
see also stocking, laughing stock,
13 [PHRASE] usu v-link PHR
If goods are in stock, a shop has them available to sell. If they are out of stock, it does not.
Check that your size is in stock...
Lemon and lime juice were both temporarily out of stock.
14 [PHRASE] V inflects, usu PHR of n
If you take stock, you pause to think about all the aspects of a situation or event before deciding what to do next.
It was time to take stock of the situation...
15
lock, stock, and barrel: see barrelcom|mon stock
[N-UNCOUNT]
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; in BRIT use ordinary shares)
The company priced its offering of 2.7 million shares of common stock at 20 cents a share.
see also preferred stocklaugh|ing stock (laughing stocks)
also laughing-stock
[N-COUNT]
If you say that a person or an organization has become a laughing stock, you mean that they are supposed to be important or serious but have been made to seem ridiculous.
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.pref|erred stock
[N-UNCOUNT]
Preferred stock is the same as preference shares. (AM BUSINESS)
see also common stockroll|ing stock
[N-UNCOUNT]
Rolling stock is all the engines and carriages that are used on a railway.
Many stations needed repairs or rebuilding and there was a shortage of rolling stock.stock car (stock cars)
[N-COUNT]
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.
He acted as grand marshal of a stock car race.stock con|trol
[N-UNCOUNT]
Stock control is the activity of making sure that a company always has exactly the right amount of goods available to sell. (BUSINESS)stock cube (stock cubes)
[N-COUNT]
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.♦ stock ex|change (stock exchanges)
[N-COUNT] usu the N in sing
A stock exchange is a place where people buy and sell stocks and shares. The stock exchange is also the trading activity that goes on there and the trading organization itself. (BUSINESS)
The shortage of good stock has kept some investors away from the stock exchange.
...the New York Stock Exchange.
= stock market♦ stock mar|ket (stock markets)
[N-COUNT] the N
The stock market consists of the general activity of buying stocks and shares, and the people and institutions that organize it. (BUSINESS)
The company's shares promptly fell by 300 lire on the stock market.stock op|tion (stock options)
[N-COUNT]
A stock option is an opportunity for the employees of a company to buy shares at a special price. (AM BUSINESS; in BRIT use share option)
He made a huge profit from the sale of shares purchased in January under the company's stock option program.stock up
1
see stock 5
2 [PHRASAL VERB] V P on/with n
If you stock up on something, you buy a lot of it, in case you cannot get it later.
The authorities have urged people to stock up on fuel...