Meaning & use
stock
Last updated
Meanings
nouncountable or uncountable
The supply of goods a shop or company has available to sell or use.
Grammar: Can be used as an uncountable noun (a quantity in general) or countable (a particular supply): We have plenty of stock. / a fresh stock of shirts.
Patterns
- in stock
- out of stock
- stock of something
- keep stock
The store keeps a large stock of winter coats.
That model is out of stock, but we can order it for you.
We need to check our stock before the sale.
nouncountable or uncountablebusinessfinance
A share in the ownership of a company, bought and sold on a stock exchange.
Grammar: Often used in the plural (stocks) when talking about several companies' shares, or uncountable when referring to the market in general.
Patterns
- buy stock
- sell stock
- stock market
- hold stock in something
She bought stock in a technology company.
Stock prices fell after the announcement.
He made a lot of money trading stocks.
noununcountabletechnical
A liquid made by boiling meat, bones, or vegetables, used as a base for soups and sauces.
Grammar: Uncountable; use 'some stock' or 'a stock' only when referring to a particular type or container.
Patterns
- chicken stock
- vegetable stock
- make stock
Add a cup of chicken stock to the pan.
The recipe calls for vegetable stock, not water.
She simmered the bones to make a rich stock.
noununcountabletechnical
Farm animals kept for their meat, milk, or wool.
Grammar: Uncountable; refers to livestock collectively.
Patterns
- livestock
- raise stock
The farmer moved his stock to a new field.
They keep stock for dairy production.
verbtransitive
To keep a supply of something in a shop or store.
Grammar: Takes an object: The shop stocks newspapers. Often used in the passive: These items are stocked in most supermarkets.
Patterns
- stock something
- stock up on something
- be stocked with something
The pharmacy stocks a wide range of vitamins.
We stock only organic produce.
They stock up on supplies before winter.
Word forms
| plural | stocks |
|---|---|
| third person singular | stocks |
| past tense | stocked |
| past participle | stocked |
| -ing form | stocking |
Common combinations
- in stock
- The book you want is in stock.
- out of stock
- Sorry, that size is out of stock.
- stock market
- The stock market rose sharply today.
- stock exchange
- Shares are traded on the stock exchange.
- take stock of
- We need to take stock of our situation.
Synonyms and how they differ
- inventory
- More formal and used especially in business for the complete list of goods; 'stock' is the everyday word for goods available.
- supply
- Focuses on the amount available or provided; 'stock' often suggests goods kept for sale.
- share
- In finance, 'share' is the usual word in British English, while 'stock' is more common in American English.
Word family
- stockholder noun
- A person who owns shares in a company.
- stockpile verb
- To collect and store a large amount of something for future use.
- stocky adjective
- Short and strongly built.
Commonly confused: stock or stalk?
stock vs stalk
A stalk is a plant stem or to follow someone secretly; 'stock' refers to goods or shares.
Practice
The supermarket has run out of milk, so it is currently ____.
Choose one answer.
'Out of stock' means the item is not available. 'In stock' would mean it is available, which contradicts 'run out of'.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “stock”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.