stake

/steɪk/

/steɪk/

Other forms: stakes; staked; staking

A stake is a wooden stick, sharpened on one end and used to mark property lines (or slay a vampire).

In the Middle Ages, people would gamble by placing their bets on wooden posts, or stakes. Eventually the bets themselves became known as stakes. Today, you can use the word as a verb to describe any risky endeavor — for example, "Geoffrey staked his sandwich-making reputation on a six-foot hero with salami and pickles." A stake can also be an investment. If you say that "Bill has a stake in the business," it means he’s a part-owner.

Definitions of stake

1. noun

   a strong wooden or metal post with a point at one end so it can be driven into the ground
   type of:

   post

   an upright consisting of a piece of timber or metal fixed firmly in an upright position
2. noun

   a pole or stake set up to mark something (as the start or end of a race track)
   “the corner of the lot was indicated by a stake”

   synonyms: post

   types:

   starting post

   a post marking the starting point of a race (especially a horse race)

   winning post

   the post at the end of a racecourse

   type of:

   visual signal

   a signal that involves visual communication
3. noun

   instrument of execution consisting of a vertical post that a victim is tied to for burning
   type of:

   instrument of execution

   an instrument designed and used to take the life of a condemned person
4. verb

   mark with a stake
   “stake out the path”

   synonyms: post

   type of:

   mark

   make or leave a mark on
5. verb

   tie or fasten to a stake
   “stake your goat”

   type of:

   fasten, fix, secure

   cause to be firmly attached
6. verb

   kill by piercing with a spear or sharp pole
   synonyms: impale

   type of:

   kill

   cause to die; put to death, usually intentionally or knowingly
7. noun

   (law) a right or legal share of something; a financial involvement with something
   “a stake in the company's future”

   synonyms: interest

   types:

   grubstake

   funds advanced to a prospector or to someone starting a business in return for a share of the profits

   controlling interest

   ownership of more than 50% of a corporation's voting shares

   insurable interest

   an interest in a person or thing that will support the issuance of an insurance policy; an interest in the survival of the insured or in the preservation of the thing that is insured

   vested interest

   (law) an interest in which there is a fixed right to present or future enjoyment and that can be conveyed to another

   security interest

   any interest in a property that secures the payment of an obligation

   terminable interest

   an interest in property that terminates under specific conditions

   undivided interest, undivided right

   the interest in property owned by tenants whereby each tenant has an equal right to enjoy the entire property

   fee

   an interest in land capable of being inherited

   equity

   the ownership interest of shareholders in a corporation

   reversion

   (law) an interest in an estate that reverts to the grantor (or his heirs) at the end of some period (e.g., the death of the grantee)

   right

   (frequently plural) the interest possessed by law or custom in some intangible thing

   fee simple

   a fee without limitation to any class of heirs; they can sell it or give it away

   fee tail

   a fee limited to a particular line of heirs; they are not free to sell it or give it away

   sweat equity

   interest in a building that a tenant earns by contributing to its renovation or maintenance

   escheat

   a reversion to the state (as the ultimate owner of property) in the absence of legal heirs

   pledge

   a deposit of personal property as security for a debt

   mortgage

   a conditional conveyance of property as security for the repayment of a loan

   conditional sale

   a security interest taken by the seller in return for credit

   collateral

   a security pledged for the repayment of a loan

   lien

   the right to take another's property if an obligation is not discharged

   type of:

   part, percentage, portion, share

   assets belonging to or due to or contributed by an individual person or group
8. noun

   the money risked on a gamble
   synonyms: bet, stakes, wager

   types:

   jackpot, kitty, pot

   the cumulative amount involved in a game (such as poker)

   ante

   (poker) the initial contribution that each player makes to the pot

   kitty, pool

   the combined stakes of the betters

   type of:

   gamble

   money that is risked for possible monetary gain
9. verb

   put at risk
   “I will stake my good reputation for this”

   synonyms: adventure, hazard, jeopardize, venture

   type of:

   lay on the line, put on the line, risk

   expose to a chance of loss or damage
10. verb

    place a bet on
    synonyms: back, bet on, gage, game, punt

    types:

    ante

    place one's stake

    double up, parlay

    stake winnings from one bet on a subsequent wager

    type of:

    bet, play, wager

    stake on the outcome of an issue