stake
1a 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.
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.
stake out,
to keep (a suspect) under police surveillance.
to appoint (a police officer) to maintain constant watch over a suspect or place.
Idioms about stake
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
1Other words for stake
Other definitions for stake (2 of 2)
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.
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
2Other words for stake
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use stake in a sentence
Allowing the protests to go on with little interference was always a high-stakes gamble.
De Blasio and the New York City Protesters Have No Blood on Their Hands | Jacob Siegel | December 22, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTIndeed, it may never unless Western powers start raising the political stakes.
But the stakes are too high this Tuesday for any woman to stay home.
These stakes have created a financial arms race that almost certainly will make this election historically expensive.
Dark Money Will Decide Which Party Controls the Senate | Center for Public Integrity | October 24, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTIt will go to the Shia majority and is the subject of an ongoing struggle with very high stakes indeed.
The New Iraq War Could Be Won or Lost This Month by Baghdad Politics | Bartle Bull | October 3, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
These stakes are gold only as yet, and no man's venture seems over five pounds.
The Pit Town Coronet, Volume I (of 3) | Charles James WillsIt was a sad day for Ramona and Alessandro when the kindly Hyers pulled up their tent-stakes and left the valley.
Ramona | Helen Hunt JacksonThe body was resting upon a plank supported by four stakes and covered with skins.
The stakes were too rough to admit the possibility of any finger-prints that might be microscopically detected.
Mystery Ranch | Arthur ChapmanShe was playing for tremendously high stakes, and her share of the victory was the price of a throne.
The Weight of the Crown | Fred M. White
British Dictionary definitions for stake (1 of 2)
/ (steɪk) /
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
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
Origin of stake
1British Dictionary definitions for stake (2 of 2)
/ (steɪk) /
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 something: a 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 risk: two 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 conclusion: the Libyan allegations raised the stakes in the propaganda war between Libya and the United States
to hazard (money, etc) on a result
to invest in or support by supplying with money, etc: to stake a business enterprise
Origin of stake
2Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Other Idioms and Phrases with 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
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
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