ante
[ an-tee ]
/ ˈæn ti /
noun
verb (used with object), an·ted or an·teed, an·te·ing.
Poker. to put (one's initial stake) into the pot.
to produce or pay (one's share) (usually followed by up): He anted up his half of the bill.
verb (used without object), an·ted or an·teed, an·te·ing.
Poker. to put one's initial stake into the pot.
Informal. to pay (usually followed by up).
RELATED CONTENT
What Do A.M. And P.M. Stand For?Most English speakers know that a.m. refers to the hours from midnight and noon, and p.m. to the hours from noon and midnight. But what do these ubiquitous abbreviations stand for? The term we associate with the morning, a.m., is an abbreviation the Latin phrase ante merīdiem meaning “before midday”; p.m. is an abbreviation of post merīdiem, meaning—you guessed it—“after midday.” These two terms help …
RELATED WORDS
Nearby words
- antares,
- antarthritic,
- antasthmatic,
- antatrophic,
- antbird,
- ante meridiem,
- ante up,
- ante-,
- ante-christum,
- ante-mortem
Origin of ante
ante-
a prefix meaning “before,” used in the formation of compound words: anteroom; antebellum; antedate.
Origin of ante-
vide ante
[ wee-de ahn-te; English vahy-dee an-tee, vee- ]
/ ˈwi dɛ ˈɑn tɛ; English ˈvaɪ di ˈæn ti, ˈvi- /
Latin.
see before (used especially to refer a reader to parts of a text).
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Examples from the Web for ante
ante
/ (ˈæntɪ) /
noun
the gaming stake put up before the deal in poker by the players
informal a sum of money representing a person's share, as in a syndicate
up the ante informal to increase the costs, risks, or considerations involved in taking an action or reaching a conclusionwhenever they reached their goal, they upped the ante by setting more complex challenges for themselves
verb -tes, -teing, -ted or -teed
to place (one's stake) in poker
(usually foll by up) informal, mainly US to pay
ante-
prefix
before in time or position; previous to; in front ofantedate; antechamber
Word Origin for ante-
from Latin
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
ante-
pref.
Prior to; earlier:antenatal.
In front of; before:antebrachium.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.