stake

[ steyk ]

/ steɪk /

|||

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR stake ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

a stick or post pointed at one end for driving into the ground as a boundary mark, part of a fence, support for a plant, etc.

a post to which a person is bound for execution, usually by burning.

the stake, the punishment of death by burning: Joan of Arc was sentenced to the stake.

one of a number of vertical posts fitting into sockets or staples on the edge of the platform of a truck or other vehicle, as to retain the load.

Mormon Church. a division of ecclesiastical territory, consisting of a number of wards presided over by a president and two counselors.

sett(def 2).

verb (used with object), staked, stak·ing.

to mark with or as if with stakes (often followed by off or out): We staked out the boundaries of the garden.

to possess, claim, or reserve a share of (land, profit, glory, etc.) as if by marking or bounding with stakes (usually followed by out or off): I'm staking out ten percent of the profit for myself.

to separate or close off by a barrier of stakes.

to support with a stake or stakes, as a plant: to stake tomato vines.

to tether or secure to a stake, as an animal: They staked the goat in the back yard.

to fasten with a stake or stakes.

Verb Phrases

stake out,

to keep (a suspect) under police surveillance.
to appoint (a police officer) to maintain constant watch over a suspect or place.

Nearby words

stairmaster, stairs, stairstep, stairway, stairwell, stake, stake a claim, stake boat, stake body, stake horse, stake out

Idioms

pull up stakes, Informal. to leave one's job, place of residence, etc.; move: They pulled up stakes and went to California.

Origin of stake

before 900; (noun) Middle English; Old English staca pin; cognate with Dutch staak, German Stake, Old Norse -staki (in lȳsistaki candlestick); akin to stick¹; (v.) Middle English staken to mark (land) with stakes, derivative of the noun

SYNONYMS FOR stake

1 pale, picket, pike.

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR stake ON THESAURUS.COM

Definition for stake (2 of 2)

stake

[ steyk ]

/ steɪk /

noun

something that is wagered in a game, race, or contest.

a monetary or commercial interest, investment, share, or involvement in something, as in hope of gain: I have a big stake in the success of the firm.

a personal or emotional concern, interest, involvement, or share: Parents have a big stake in their children's happiness.

the funds with which a gambler operates.

Often stakes. a prize, reward, increase in status, etc., in or as if in a contest.

stakes. Poker. the cash values assigned to the various colored chips, various bets, and raises: Our stakes are 5, 10, and 25 cents: you can bet out 10 cents on a pair and reraise twice at 25 cents.

a grubstake.

verb (used with object), staked, stak·ing.

to risk (something), as upon the result of a game or the occurrence or outcome of any uncertain event, venture, etc.: He staked his reputation on the success of the invention.

to furnish (someone) with necessaries or resources, especially money: They staked me to a good meal and a train ticket.

Origin of stake

First recorded in 1520–30; origin uncertain

SYNONYMS FOR stake

1 wager, bet.

5 winnings, purse.

8 bet, gamble, hazard; jeopardize.

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Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for stake

We can, due to the critical issues at stake, also go one more step and impose an embargo.
U.S. Should Make North Korea Pay for Sony Hack|Gordon G. Chang|December 18, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Think about it: Dodd-Frank was explicitly passed to drive a stake through the heart of the implicit concept of “too big to fail.”
How Naive is Elizabeth Warren?|Nick Gillespie|December 18, 2014|DAILY BEAST
At stake is not just the 21 photos that were originally ordered to be released.
The Detainee Abuse Photos Obama Didn’t Want You To See|Noah Shachtman, Tim Mak|December 15, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Then as now, we all are at stake, and sooner or later, we all must make a stand.
McConaughey’s ‘Stand’—And Ours|James Poulos|December 5, 2014|DAILY BEAST

Paul has consistently used Benghazi as a device to stake out high ground on foreign policy.
Rand Paul Won’t Let Benghazi Die|Olivia Nuzzi|December 2, 2014|DAILY BEAST
They have too much at stake there to leave unless driven out by the point of the bayonet, as they were from Missouri and Illinois.
The Mormon Puzzle, and How to Solve It|R. W. Beers
Smoke drove in his stake and was away with the leading dozen.
Smoke Bellew|Jack London
It was finally agreed that I should stake out the ground and furnish the material, and the boys would do the work.
The Library of Work and Play: Outdoor Work|Mary Rogers Miller
Again he won his stake, an omen for the day, and was exultant.
Mr. Scarborough's Family|Anthony Trollope
The principle at stake was important: a fixed salary grant would have been in the nature of a tax imposed by the Crown.
The Colonies 1492-1750|Reuben Gold Thwaites

British Dictionary definitions for stake (1 of 2)

stake

/ (steɪk) /

noun

a stick or metal bar driven into the ground as a marker, part of a fence, support for a plant, etc

one of a number of vertical posts that fit into sockets around a flat truck or railway wagon to hold the load in place

a method or the practice of executing a person by binding him to a stake in the centre of a pile of wood that is then set on fire

Mormon Church an administrative district consisting of a group of wards under the jurisdiction of a president

pull up stakes to leave one's home or temporary resting place and move on

verb (tr)

to tie, fasten, or tether with or to a stake

(often foll by out or off) to fence or surround with stakes

(often foll by out) to lay (a claim) to land, rights, etc

to support with a stake

Word Origin for stake

Old English staca pin; related to Old Frisian staka, Old High German stehho, Old Norse stjaki; see stick 1

British Dictionary definitions for stake (2 of 2)

stake

/ (steɪk) /

noun

the money or valuables that a player must hazard in order to buy into a gambling game or make a bet

an interest, often financial, held in somethinga stake in the company's future

(often plural) the money that a player has available for gambling

(often plural) a prize in a race, etc, esp one made up of contributions from contestants or owners

(plural) horse racing a race in which all owners of competing horses contribute to the prize money

US and Canadian informal short for grubstake (def. 1)

at stake at risktwo lives are at stake

raise the stakes

to increase the amount of money or valuables hazarded in a gambling game
to increase the costs, risks, or considerations involved in taking an action or reaching a conclusionthe Libyan allegations raised the stakes in the propaganda war between Libya and the United States

verb (tr)

to hazard (money, etc) on a result

to invest in or support by supplying with money, etcto stake a business enterprise

Word Origin for stake

C16: of uncertain origin

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

Idioms and Phrases with stake

stake

In addition to the idioms beginning with stake

stake a claim
stake out

also see:

at stake
burn at the stake
have a stake in
pull up stakes