stocks

noun — 2 senses

noun

UK /stɒks/ · US /stɑks/

A device, similar to a pillory, formerly used for public humiliation and punishment.

Opposite the almshouses is the bow-fronted post office and shop, while near by, beneath the trees on the green, is the old whipping post and stocks, the latter pierced by five holes.1980, AA Book of British Villages, Drive Publications Ltd, page 54:

Nautical, Transport The frame upon which a ship is built, and from which it is launched.

Entry derived from the Wiktionary, under licence CC BY-SA 4.0 — list of authors.