hoard

1 of 3

noun (1)

plural hoards
: a supply or fund stored up and often hidden away
a hoard of cash

hoard

2 of 3

verb

hoarded; hoarding; hoards

transitive verb

1
: to collect and often hide away a supply of : to accumulate a hoard (see hoard entry 1) of
hoarding food
2
: to keep (something, such as one's thoughts) to oneself
she hoarded her intentionVirginia Woolf
the people outside disperse their affections, you hoard yours, you nurse them into intensityJoseph Conrad

intransitive verb

: to collect and often hide away a supply of something
specifically : to engage in compulsive hoarding
One thing people who hoard have in common is a skewed perceived value of possessions. My Edmonds News (Edmonds, Washington)

hoard

3 of 3

noun (2)

plural hoards
: a temporary board fence put around a building being erected or repaired : hoarding entry 2 sense 1

Examples of hoard in a Sentence

Noun (1) a squirrel's hoard of nuts keeps a hoard of empty yogurt containers in his basement workshop for storing whatnots Verb he's been hoarding empty yogurt containers all winter, with the intention of using them to start seedlings in the spring
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
Green is known as one of the nicest actors in the UK and has hoards of fans from his gentle fishing programs and a spell as one of half of singing duo Robson & Jerome, with actor Jerome Flynn (Bronn in Game of Thrones to many). Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 18 Feb. 2025 Despite the lackluster financial year, the fund maintains a massive hoard of assets valued at $232 million. Robert Schmad, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 15 Feb. 2025
Verb
Even her adult work, carefully hoarded by Richard over the years, remained vulnerable if something happened to their homes. David Bloom, Forbes, 25 Feb. 2025 The action is also taking aim at those who illegally hoard licenses. James Barron, New York Times, 19 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for hoard

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1) and Verb

Middle English hord, from Old English; akin to Goth huzd treasure, Old English hȳdan to hide

First Known Use

Noun (1)

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Verb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Noun (2)

1757, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of hoard was before the 12th century

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Cite this Entry

“Hoard.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hoard. Accessed 3 Mar. 2025.

Kids Definition

hoard

noun
ˈhō(ə)rd,
ˈhȯ(ə)rd
: a hidden supply or fund stored up
hoard verb
hoarder noun

More from Merriam-Webster on hoard

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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