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In depends. One older usage of "stacking" switches, often meant to daisy-chain or cascade connect them. E.g. sw1 <> sw2 <> sw3 <> sw4
If the switches support STP, you might also connect them in a ring, i.e. in the prior example, sw1 would also connect to the last switch, sw4.
The interconnections between such stacked switches was usually on "normal" ports, but Cisco also had for some of their switches "special" stack cables that could be used, e.g. GigaStack - see http://www.cisco.com/en/US/products/hw/switches/ps607/products_tech_note09186a00800a2cac.shtml.
In some later Cisco switches, Cisco provided a new "kind" of stack. Starting with the original 3750/3750G series, Cisco provided StackWise stacking, see http://www.cisco.com/en/US/prod/collateral/switches/ps5718/ps5023/prod_white_paper09186a00801b096a.html.
What made StackWise different, the "stacked" devices functioned as one logical device. Cisco has subsequently provided StackWisePlus (3750E/3750X), FlexStack (2960S), FlexStack-Plus (2960X) (see http://www.cisco.com/en/US/prod/collateral/switches/ps5718/ps12995/white_paper_c11-728327.pdf) and StackWise-480 (3850) that also have all the stacked devices function as one logical device.
