stɔk n.,
adj., & v. --n. 1 a
store of goods etc.
ready for sale or
distribution etc. 2 a supply or
quantity of
anything for
use (lay in
winter stocks of
fuel; a
great stock of information). 3
equipment or
raw material for
manufacture or
trade etc. (rolling-stock;
paper stock). 4 a
farm animals or equipment. b =
FATSTOCK. 5 a
the capital of a
business company. b shares in
this. 6 one's
reputation or popularity (his stock is rising). 7 a
money lent to a
government at fixed
interest. b the
right to
receive such interest. 8 a line of
ancestry;
family origins (comes of
Cornish stock). 9
liquid made by stewing bones, vegetables, fish,
etc., as a
basis for
soup,
gravy,
sauce, etc. 10
any of
various fragrant-flowered
cruciferous plants of the
genus Matthiola or Malcolmia (orig. stock-gillyflower, so-called
because it
had a stronger stem
than the clove gillyflower). 11 a
plant into which a graft is inserted. 12 the main
trunk of a
tree etc. 13 (in pl.)
hist. a
timber frame with holes for the
feet and occas. the hands and
head, in which offenders
were locked as a
public punishment. 14 US a = stock company. b the
repertory of this. 15 a a base or
support or
handle for an
implement or
machine. b the
crossbar of an
anchor. 16 the butt of a rifle etc. 17 a =
HEADSTOCK. b =
TAILSTOCK. 18 (in pl.) the supports for a
ship during building. 19 a
band of material
worn round the
neck esp. in horse-riding or
below a
clerical collar. 20
hard solid brick pressed in a mould. --adj. 1
kept in stock and so regularly
available (stock sizes). 2 perpetually repeated;
hackneyed,
conventional (a stock answer). --v.tr. 1
have or
keep (goods) in stock. 2 a
provide (a
shop or a farm etc.) with goods, equipment, or
livestock. b
fill with items needed (shelves well-stocked with books). 3 fit (a
gun etc.) with a stock. øin stock available
immediately for sale etc. on the stocks in
construction or
preparation.
out of stock
not immediately available for sale. stock-book a
book showing amounts of goods acquired and disposed
of. stock-car 1 a specially strengthened
production car for use in racing in which
collision occurs. 2 US a
railway truck for transporting livestock. stock company US a repertory company performing
mainly at a
particular theatre. stock dove a
European wild pigeon, Columba oenas, with a shorter tail and squarer head than a
wood pigeon and
breeding in tree-trunks. Stock
Exchange 1 a
place where stocks and shares are
bought and
sold. 2 the dealers
working there. stock-in-trade 1
all the requisites of a trade or
profession. 2 a ready supply of
characteristic phrases, attitudes, etc. stock
market 1 = Stock Exchange. 2 transactions on this. stock-still motionless. stock up 1 provide with or
get stocks or supplies. 2 (foll. by with) get in or
gather a stock of (food, fuel, etc.).
take stock 1
make an
inventory of one's stock. 2 (often foll. by of) make a
review or
estimate of (a
situation etc.). 3 (foll. by in)
concern oneself with. øøstocker n. stockless adj. [OE stoc, stocc f. Gmc]