stashes

A stash is a concealed or readily accessible reserve of items kept for later use. The term is used for physical caches as well as digital equivalents, and it usually implies some intent to protect, conceal, or organize belongings.

In everyday life, people create stashes of cash, jewelry, food, or emergency supplies, stored in safes, jars, drawers, or hidden compartments. The word also describes built-in pockets or compartments designed to hold small items discreetly, such as a stash pocket in a jacket or a hidden stash box.

In illicit contexts, a stash often refers to hidden contraband, such as drugs or firearms, kept out of sight. Law enforcement uses terms like stash house or stash site to describe locations used to store illicit goods. Discussions of stashes in this sense are typically framed within legal and safety concerns.

In computing, stash denotes a temporary holding area for changes not yet committed to a project. In Git, git stash saves the current working directory state and reverts to the last commit, allowing developers to switch focus quickly without losing work.

Etymology traces stash to the idea of stowage, with the term in English since at least the 19th century. Across contexts, the core concept remains a reserve kept for future use, whether for practical, security, or convenience reasons.