warehoused

1. 1
   verb

   Simple past and past participle of warehouse.

   The importer warehoused the goods before clearing customs.

   Surplus grain was warehoused at the edge of town.

   Note

   A regular form: one spelling covers both the simple past (the firm warehoused the stock) and the participle after have or be (the stock had been warehoused). It carries every use of the verb, including the business one of acquiring something only to shelve it so competitors cannot get it, and the use for confining a person to an institution. Placed before a noun, it becomes the adjective for stored goods.

2. 2
   adjective

   Placed or kept in a warehouse for storage rather than in active use.

   The warehoused inventory was finally shipped to retailers in March.

   Auditors counted every pallet of warehoused merchandise before the sale.

3. 3
   adjective

   Placed in a warehouse-like institution that holds people while offering little purpose or stimulation.

   Critics described the warehoused residents as forgotten by the whole system.

   The warehoused inmates received no education or job training during their stay.

   Similarinstitutionalized, confined

   Note

   A word of complaint rather than description. Calling people warehoused accuses an institution of holding them the way a depot holds stock: counted and kept, but otherwise left alone. It carries the plain storage sense over to persons and groups and sits naturally beside residents and inmates. Because the criticism is built into the word, it suits argument and reporting, not neutral or official description.

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