stack

[[t]stæ̱k[/t]]

stacks, stacking, stacked

1) N-COUNT: usu N of n A stack of things is a pile of them.

There were stacks of books on the bedside table and floor.

2) VERB If you stack a number of things, you arrange them in neat piles.

[V n] Mme Cathiard was stacking the clean bottles in crates...

[V-ed] They are stacked neatly in piles of three.

PHRASAL VERB

Stack up means the same as stack.

V P n (not pron) He ordered them to stack up pillows behind his back. Also V n P V-ed P ...plates of delicious food stacked up on the counters.

3) N-PLURAL: N of n If you say that someone has stacks of something, you mean that they have a lot of it. [INFORMAL]

If the job's that good, you'll have stacks of money.

Syn:

loads

4) VERB If someone in authority stacks an organization or body, they fill it with their own supporters so that the decisions it makes will be the ones they want it to make. [mainly AM]

[V n with n] They said they were going to stack the court with anti-abortion judges...

[V n with n] The committee is stacked with members from energy-producing states. [Also V n]

Syn:

pack

5) → See also , chimney stack

6) PHRASE: V inflects, PHR n If you say that the odds are stacked against someone, or that particular factors are stacked against them, you mean that they are unlikely to succeed in what they want to do because the conditions are not favourable.

The odds are stacked against civilians getting a fair trial...

Everything seems to be stacked against us.

Phrasal Verbs:

- stack up