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
With tens of billions of dollars per year at stake, that ambiguity set off a flurry of lobbying as the Treasury Department set about writing regulations.
Georgia Senator David Perdue Privately Pushed for a Tax Break for Rich Sports Teamowners | by Robert Faturechi and Justin Elliott | November 20, 2020 | ProPublicaAs someone who’s had giardia and norovirus and picked something up in Peru 15 years ago that may still be hanging out in my intestines, I can tell you that the stakes are high.
The High-Capacity Water Filter You Need for Base Camp | Joe Jackson | November 20, 2020 | Outside OnlineWhile Mason is optimistic the parties will reach a settlement, he spoke in court Wednesday to warn them of what was at stake if they don’t.
Boy Scouts must settle 95,000 abuse claims by next summer — or risk running out of cash | Samantha Schmidt | November 19, 2020 | Washington PostAs part of the deal, Verizon is acquiring a minority stake in BuzzFeed, which will use the telecom giant’s advertising platform to reach more customers.
BuzzFeed buys HuffPost from Verizon in latest new-media deal | Verne Kopytoff | November 19, 2020 | FortuneSo the stakes are clear, and we give the Seahawks the edge with a 58 percent chance to win.
The Indianapolis Colts Finally Built A Defensive Monster | Ty Schalter | November 19, 2020 | FiveThirtyEight
With fighter jets, bombers, and nuclear-powered icebreakers, the Vladimir Putin regime is staking its claim in the Arctic.
The Russians and Canadians have been the most aggressive in staking their claims—often with competing scientific data.
You have to sway from one foot to another to keep them from staking their claim.
Whatever You Do Someone Will Die. A Short Story About Impossible Choices in Iraq | Nathan Bradley Bethea | August 31, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTStill, like any gold rush, several investors are staking their claim.
Reince is threatening that and he is for it, and he is staking his chairmanship on it.
And you know that father is incapable of staking half or even two thirds of his little all against any proposition he believes in.
The Beauty | Mrs. Wilson WoodrowFedora sauntered slowly around the rooms, leaning over and staking a gold plaque here and there.
Mr. Grex of Monte Carlo | E. Phillips OppenheimHe was not staking large sums, but he was losing about three out of four times that he put down his money.
Down the Rhine | Oliver OpticThe staking of lots on the tide flats at night, when the tide was out, seemed to be a staple industry.
Ox-Team Days on the Oregon Trail | Ezra MeekerHe took up a position at the end of the table nearest the door, and apparently watched the game before staking.
The Grell Mystery | Frank Froest
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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