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Original · left

Stack (pile)

An orderly vertical pile of dishes, books, firewood, or hay.

First in use: ancient / pre-modern
Duplicate · right

Stack (computing)

A Last-In, First-Out (LIFO) abstract data structure, or the complete collection of software layers (frameworks, databases, languages) powering an application.

First in use: c. 1955

Stack / Stack (pile) / Stack (computing)

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Colour keyGrey · original meaningGreen · duplicate meaningAmber · contested (40–60%)How colours work

A pile of plates vs. LIFO and the tech stack.

Which meaning of Stack is the original, and which one is the duplicate riding on its name? Stack (pile) came first (ancient / pre-modern). Stack (computing) arrived in 1955. The data below shows which one owns the word now.

Wikipedia pageviews since 2015

Stack (pile)Stack (computing)
English Wikipedia pageviews since July 2015 load here.

Duplicate's share of attention

Green line = duplicate's % · above 60 it owns the word · below 40 the original does

Share-of-attention line loads here.

The case for each meaning

Sourced definitions, usage stats and quotes

Original · ancient / pre-modern

Stack (pile)

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Duplicate · c. 1955

Stack (computing)

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More duplicated terms

Programming & software