Adjacent Words

Stake definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

STAKE, n. [The primary sense is to shoot, to thrust, hence to set or fix.]
1. A small piece of wood or timber, sharpened at one end and set in the ground, or prepared for setting, as a support to something. Thus stakes are used to support vines, to support fences, hedges and the like. A stake is not to be confounded with a post, which is a larger piece of timber.
2. A piece of long rough wood.
A sharpend stake strong Dryas found.
3. A palisade, or something resembling it.
4. The piece of timber to which a martyr is fastened when he is to be burnt. Hence, to perish at the stake, is to die a martyr, or to die in torment. Hence,
5. Figuratively, martyrdom. The stake was prepared for those who were convicted of heresy.
6. That which is pledged and wagered; that which is set, thrown down or laid, to abide the issue of a contest, to be gained by victory or lost by defeat.
7. The state of being laid or pledged as a wager. His honor is at stake.
8. A small anvil to straighten cold word, or to cut and punch upon.
STAKE, v.t.
1. To fasten, support or defend with stakes; as, to stake vines or plants.
2. To mark the limits by stakes; with out; as, to stake out land; to stake out a new road, or the ground for a canal.
3. To wager; to pledge; to put at hazard upon the issue of competition, or upon a future contingency.
Ill stake yon lamb that near the fountain plays.
4. To point or sharpen stakes. [Not used in America.]
5. To pierce with a stake.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: (law) a right or legal share of something; a financial involvement with something; "they have interests all over the world"; "a stake in the company's future" [syn: interest, stake]
2: a pole or stake set up to mark something (as the start or end of a race track); "a pair of posts marked the goal"; "the corner of the lot was indicated by a stake" [syn: post, stake]
3: instrument of execution consisting of a vertical post that a victim is tied to for burning
4: the money risked on a gamble [syn: stake, stakes, bet, wager]
5: a strong wooden or metal post with a point at one end so it can be driven into the ground v
1: put at risk; "I will stake my good reputation for this" [syn: venture, hazard, adventure, stake, jeopardize]
2: place a bet on; "Which horse are you backing?"; "I'm betting on the new horse" [syn: bet on, back, gage, stake, game, punt]
3: mark with a stake; "stake out the path" [syn: stake, post]
4: tie or fasten to a stake; "stake your goat"
5: kill by piercing with a spear or sharp pole; "the enemies were impaled and left to die" [syn: impale, stake]

Merriam Webster's

I. noun Etymology: Middle English, from Old English staca; akin to Middle Low German stake pole, and perhaps to Latin tignum beam Date: before 12th century 1. a pointed piece of wood or other material driven or to be driven into the ground as a marker or support 2. a. a post to which a person is bound for execution by burning b. execution by burning at a stake 3. a. something that is staked for gain or loss b. the prize in a contest c. an interest or share in an undertaking or enterprise 4. a Mormon territorial jurisdiction comprising a group of wards 5. grubstake 6. stakes race — usually used in plural but sing. or plural in constr. II. transitive verb (staked; staking) Date: 14th century 1. to mark the limits of by or as if by stakes 2. to tether to a stake 3. bet, wager 4. to fasten up or support (as plants) with stakes 5. to back financially 6. grubstake

Oxford Reference Dictionary

1. n. & v. --n. 1 a stout stick or post sharpened at one end and driven into the ground as a support, boundary mark, etc. 2 hist. a the post to which a person was tied to be burnt alive. b (prec. by the) death by burning as a punishment (was condemned to the stake). 3 a long vertical rod in basket-making. 4 a metalworker's small anvil fixed on a bench by a pointed prop. --v.tr. 1 fasten, secure, or support with a stake or stakes. 2 (foll. by off, out) mark off (an area) with stakes. 3 state or establish (a claim). Phrases and idioms: pull (or pull up) stakes depart; go to live elsewhere. stake-boat a boat anchored to mark the course for a boat race etc. stake-body (pl. -ies) US a body for a lorry etc. having a flat open platform with removable posts along the sides. stake-net a fishing-net hung on stakes. stake out colloq. 1 place under surveillance. 2 place (a person) to maintain surveillance. stake-out n. esp. US colloq. a period of surveillance. Etymology: OE staca f. WG, rel. to STICK(2) 2. n. & v. --n. 1 a sum of money etc. wagered on an event, esp. deposited with a stakeholder. 2 (often foll. by in) an interest or concern, esp. financial. 3 (in pl.) a money offered as a prize esp. in a horse-race. b such a race (maiden stakes; trial stakes). --v.tr. 1 a wager (staked £5 on the next race). b risk (staked everything on convincing him). 2 US colloq. give financial or other support to. Phrases and idioms: at stake 1 risked, to be won or lost (life itself is at stake). 2 at issue, in question. Derivatives: staker n. Etymology: 16th c.: perh. f. STAKE(1)

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Stake Stake, n. (Mormon Ch.) A territorial division; -- called also stake of Zion. Every city, or ``stake,'' including a chief town and surrounding towns, has its president, with two counselors; and this president has a high council of chosen men. --Schaff-Herzog Encyc.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Stake Stake, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Staked; p. pr. & vb. n. Staking.] 1. To fasten, support, or defend with stakes; as, to stake vines or plants. 2. To mark the limits of by stakes; -- with out; as, to stake out land; to stake out a new road. 3. To put at hazard upon the issue of competition, or upon a future contingency; to wager; to pledge. I'll stake yon lamb, that near the fountain plays. --Pope. 4. To pierce or wound with a stake. --Spectator.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Stake Stake, n. [AS. staca, from the root of E. stick; akin to OFries. & LG. stake, D. staak, Sw. stake, Dan. stage. See Stick, v. t., and cf. Estacade, Stockade.] 1. A piece of wood, usually long and slender, pointed at one end so as to be easily driven into the ground as a support or stay; as, a stake to support vines, fences, hedges, etc. A sharpened stake strong Dryas found. --Dryden. 2. A stick inserted upright in a lop, eye, or mortise, at the side or end of a cart, a flat car, or the like, to prevent goods from falling off. 3. The piece of timber to which a martyr was affixed to be burned; hence, martyrdom by fire. 4. A small anvil usually furnished with a tang to enter a hole in a bench top, -- used by tinsmiths, blacksmiths, etc., for light work, punching upon, etc. 5. That which is laid down as a wager; that which is staked or hazarded; a pledge. At stake, in danger; hazarded; pledged. ``I see my reputation is at stake.'' --Shak.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(stakes, staking, staked) Frequency: The word is one of the 1500 most common words in English. 1. If something is at stake, it is being risked and might be lost or damaged if you are not successful. The tension was naturally high for a game with so much at stake... At stake is the success or failure of world trade talks... PHRASE 2. The stakes involved in a contest or a risky action are the things that can be gained or lost. By arresting the organisation's two top leaders the government and the army have now raised the stakes... N-PLURAL: oft supp N 3. If you stake something such as your money or your reputation on the result of something, you risk your money or reputation on it. He has staked his political future on an election victory... VERB: V n on n 4. If you have a stake in something such as a business, it matters to you, for example because you own part of it or because its success or failure will affect you. He was eager to return to a more entrepreneurial role in which he had a big financial stake in his own efforts... N-COUNT: N in n 5. You can use stakes to refer to something that is like a contest. For example, you can refer to the choosing of a leader as the leadership stakes. Britain lags behind in the European childcare stakes. N-PLURAL: the supp N 6. A stake is a pointed wooden post which is pushed into the ground, for example in order to support a young tree. = post N-COUNT 7. If you stake a claim, you say that something is yours or that you have a right to it. Jane is determined to stake her claim as an actress... PHRASE: V inflects

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

stak: Isa 33:20; 54:2 for yathedh, "tent-pin," or, perhaps, "tent-pole" (Ex 27:19; Jud 4:21, etc.). The King James Version Sirach 43:19, "The hoar frost, .... being congealed, lieth on the top of sharp stakes," is of course meaningless. the Revised Version (British and American) "When it is congealed, it is as points of thorns" renders the Greek very exactly, but the Hebrew would indicate for the original meaning "forms frost-flowers of sapphire."

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

I. n. 1. Stick (pointed for driving into the ground), picket, pale. 2. Wager, bet, pledge. 3. Risk, hazard, venture, adventure. 4. Martyrdom (by fire). II. v. a. Risk, venture, hazard, peril, imperil, jeopardize, wager, pledge, put at stake, put at hazard.

Moby Thesaurus

Derby, Kentucky Derby, Kreis, Preakness Stakes, absolute interest, allotment, allowance, angel, ante, ante up, archbishopric, archdiocese, arrondissement, at hazard, at stake, ax, back, backing, bailiwick, bank, bankroll, benefit, bet, bet on, big end, bigger half, bishopric, bit, bite, block, bond, book, borough, bottomry, budget, cage, call, canton, capitalization, capitalize, caution, caution money, chain, chance, chase, chunk, circumscribe, city, claim, close in, close off, collateral, collateral security, column, commission, common, commune, concern, concerned, confine, congressional district, constablewick, contingent, contingent interest, county, cover, cross, cut, deal, death chair, death chamber, deficit financing, define, delimit, delineate, demarcate, depart, departement, deposit, destiny, diocese, district, dividend, dole, drop, duchy, easement, electoral district, electorate, electric chair, emigrate, enclose, end, equal share, equitable interest, equity, estate, fade, fasten, fate, fence, finance, financial backing, financial support, financing, flat race, forfeit, fund, funding, gallows, gallows-tree, gamble, game, gas chamber, gibbet, go bail, government, grubstake, guillotine, half, halter, halver, hamlet, handbook, handicap, handicap race, handsel, harness race, hazard, helping, hem in, hemp, hempen collar, hitch, hock, holding, horse race, hot seat, hundred, hurdle race, hypothecate, impignorate, impound, in jeopardy, interest, investment, involved, involvement, jackpot, jeopardize, jeopardized, kitty, lash, lay, lay a wager, lay down, leash, leave, leg, lethal chamber, limitation, lot, magistracy, maiden, make a bet, margin, mark off, mark out, measure, meed, meet a bet, mess, metropolis, metropolitan area, migrate, modicum, moiety, mortgage, move on, noose, oblast, okrug, on the table, outline, pale, paling, palisade, parish, parlay, part, pass, patronization, patronize, pawn, pay for, peg, pen, percentage, picket, piece, pike, pile, pillar, plate race, play, play against, pledge, plunge, pole, pool, portion, post, pot, precinct, principality, proportion, provide for, province, provision of capital, pull up stakes, punt, purse race, put, put in hock, put in pawn, put up, quantum, quarter-horse race, quota, rake-off, ration, refinance, region, resettle, riding, right, right of entry, risk, risked, rope, scaffold, secure, see, segment, set up, settlement, shank, share, sheriffalty, sheriffwick, shire, shot, shrievalty, shut in, slice, small share, soke, spike, spile, sponsor, sponsorship, spout, stake out, stake race, stakes, stand pat, state, stave, steeplechase, stick, stock, strict settlement, subsidize, subsidy, support, sweep, sweepstake, sweepstakes, territory, tether, the chair, tie up, tiger, title, town, township, tree, trotting race, trust, upright, use, venture, vested interest, village, wager, wall in, wapentake, ward