hoarding

¹

[hawr-ding]

noun

1. the act of a person or animal that hoards.

   Depression-era hoarding, when gold coins disappeared from circulation;

   the hoarding of nuts by chipmunks.

2. hoardings, things that are hoarded.

hoarding

²

[hawr-ding, hohr-]

noun

1. a temporary fence enclosing a construction site.

2. British.,  a billboard.

hoarding

/ ˈhɔːdɪŋ /

noun

1. Also called (esp US and Canadian): billboard. a large board used for displaying advertising posters, as by a road

2. a temporary wooden fence erected round a building or demolition site

Word History and Origins

Origin of hoarding¹

First recorded in 1585–95; hoard + -ing ¹

Origin of hoarding²

First recorded in 1815–25; obsolete hoard (from Old French hourd(e) “palisade made of hurdles,” from Germanic; compare German Hürde “hurdle”) + -ing ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of hoarding¹

C19: from C15 hoard fence, from Old French hourd palisade, of Germanic origin, related to Gothic haurds, Old Norse hurth door

Example Sentences

They also believe some of the families had been looting and hoarding scarce food supplies to profit on sales.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Nervous investors are hoarding precious metals, manufacturers need silver for electronics, and jewelry buyers are trading down from gold.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

When people know success and status depends on collaboration, they stop hoarding resources and start sharing them.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

It’s an ingeniously choreographed slapstick routine, but the bit is even funnier after Francis conscripts a plant in the audience to assist him in hoarding food.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

They said that "anecdotal reports of recent food hoarding for military use add to the suffering of civilians".

Read more on BBC

Related Words

• accretion 
• aggregation 
• buildup 
• growth 
• inflation 
• pile 
• quantity