Definition of HOARD

hoard

Plural: hoards

Noun

  • a secret store of valuables or money
  • A hidden supply or fund.
  • A cache of valuable objects or artefacts; a trove.
  • A hoarding (temporary structure used during construction).
  • A projecting structure (especially of wood) in a fortification, somewhat similar to and later superseded by the brattice.
  • A hoarding (billboard).
  • Misspelling of horde.

Verb

Verb Forms: hoarded, hoarding, hoards

  • To accumulate and store away for future use.
  • save up as for future use
  • get or gather together
  • To amass, usually for one's own private collection.
  • To save or reserve in one's mind for a future need or use.

Examples

  • a hoard of provisions; a hoard of money
  • He tended to hoard his S’s and blank tiles, hoping for a big play in Words With Friends.

Origin / Etymology

From Middle English hord, from Old English hord (“an accumulation of valuable objects cached for preservation or future use; treasure; hoard”), from Proto-West Germanic *hoʀd, from Proto-Germanic *huzdą (“treasure; hoard”), of unknown origin, but possibly derived from Proto-Indo-European *kewdʰ- (“to conceal, hide”), thus meaning “something hidden”. Cognate with German Hort (“hoard; refuge”), Icelandic hodd (“treasure”), Latin cū̆stōs (“guard; keeper”). For the meaning development compare Russian сокро́вище (sokróvišče, “treasure”) related to Russian скрыва́ть (skryvátʹ, “to hide, to conceal”).

Synonyms

accumulate, amass, cache, collect, compile, hive up, lay away, pile up, roll up, squirrel away, stash, engross, uphoard

Antonyms

declutter

Scrabble Score: 9

hoard: valid Scrabble (US) TWL Word
hoard: valid Scrabble Word in Merriam-Webster MW Dictionary
hoard: valid Scrabble Word in International Collins CSW Dictionary

Words With Friends Score: 8

hoard: valid Words With Friends Word