‘Stocktake’ had been filed away in my vocabulary as one word, not two ‘Stock Take’.
A few months back, Golden Discs questioned my understanding. Once again, the online dictionaries are not totally at one.
Collins is definite as to one word, ‘stocktake’. If there are two words, it is ‘take stock’. Chambers does not like either – no listing for ‘stock take’ or ‘stocktake’. Macmillan is similar but does have an entry for ‘stocktaking’.
Once again, proof that words and their usage are forever changing…