the.com/stockpile
Hoarding disguised as preparedness, one bulk discount at a time.
means A large stored supply of something kept in reserve for future need.
from A straightforward compound from 'stock' (goods or supply, itself rooted in the sense of a tree trunk or store of wealth) and 'pile' (a heap). It emerged as military and industrial jargon, naming the deliberate accumulation of materials — ammunition, fuel, grain — against future shortage or war, before sliding into everyday use for anything from canned beans to toilet paper.
- origin
- military term for ammunition reserves, 1610s
- psychology
- scarcity fear triggers stockpiling even with abundant supply
- toilet paper 2020
- demand spiked 700 percent despite steady production