stakeout

[ steyk-out ]

noun

1. the surveillance of a location by the police, as in anticipation of a crime or the arrival of a wanted person.
2. the place from which such surveillance is carried out.
3. something that is bounded or separated by or as if by stakes, especially property, territory, or the like that one identifies or claims as one's own.

stakeout

/ ˈsteɪkaʊt /

noun

1. a police surveillance of an area, house, or criminal suspect
2. an area or house kept under such surveillance

verb

1. tr, adverb to keep under surveillance

Word History and Origins

Origin of stakeout¹

First recorded in 1940–45; noun use of verb phrase stake out

Example Sentences

On July 6, the dimly lit downtown location of Morton’s The Steakhouse chain became a protest stakeout.

From Washington Blade

The team did stakeouts while the unsuspecting neighborhood slept.

From ProPublica

After a short stakeout, police nabbed Kid Riviera at a South Side apartment building.

From ProPublica

These stakeouts lasted four hours on average, although they could run as long as 30 hours.

From Popular-Science

When you're a reporter it's a stakeout; when you're a blogger, it's just stalking.

From The Daily Beast

It's your first time with this stakeout business, that's all.

From Project Gutenberg