Having a thick, solid, or sturdy build; short and heavily muscled or fat.
From 'stock' (a solid piece of wood), with the suffix '-y.' The 'stock' imagery of something solid and rooted evolved to describe human body types with that quality.
Calling someone 'stocky' uses plant metaphors—we're comparing human bodies to tree trunks and roots, suggesting strength and stability. Every body-type word is secretly a metaphor!
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