Hoard

/hɔːrd/

Meaning & Definition

noun

A collection of valuable things that are stored away.

The archaeologists discovered a hoard of ancient coins buried beneath the ruins.

An accumulation of something, especially when kept secret or hidden.

His hoard of books filled every corner of his small apartment.

verb

To gather and store away something valuable, often in a hidden or secret place.

During the pandemic, many people began to hoard essential supplies like toilet paper and disinfectants.

To accumulate a large amount of something over time without using it.

She tends to hoard old magazines, convinced she will read them someday.

Middle English 'horde', from Old English 'hord', meaning 'treasure, a store, a stockpile'.

hoard away:

To store something away for future use.

hoard mentality:

The mindset of accumulating and not sharing resources.

To keep a lot of something for oneself, often to the point of excess.

He's always trying to hoard the good snacks at the party.

To have a backup of something in case it runs out.

I like to hoard extra batteries just in case my flashlight dies.