Definify.com

Webster 1913 Edition

Stake

Stake

(stāk)
,
Noun.
[AS.
staca
, from the root of E.
stick
; akin to OFries. & LG.
stake
, D.
staak
, Sw.
stake
, Dan.
stage
. See
Stick
,
Verb.
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 loop, 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.

Stake

,
Verb.
T.
[
imp. & p. p.
Staked
(stākd)
;
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 1828 Edition

Stake

STAKE

,
Noun.
[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

,
Verb.
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.

Definition 2024

stake

stake

See also: stäke

English

Noun

stake ‎(plural stakes)

  1. A piece of wood or other material, usually long and slender, pointed at one end so as to be easily driven into the ground as a marker or a support or stay.
    We have surveyor's stakes at all four corners of this field, to mark exactly its borders.
    • (Can we date this quote?), Dryden
      A sharpened stake strong Dryas found.
    1. (croquet) A piece of wood driven in the ground, placed in the middle of the court, that is used as the finishing point after scoring 12 hoops in croquet.
  2. A stick inserted upright in a lop, eye, or mortise, at the side or end of a cart, flat car, flatbed trailer, or the like, to prevent goods from falling off.
  3. (with definite article) The piece of timber to which a martyr was affixed to be burned.
    Thomas Cranmer was burnt at the stake.
  4. A share or interest in a business or a given situation.
    The owners let the managers eventually earn a stake in the business.
  5. That which is laid down as a wager; that which is staked or hazarded; a pledge.
  6. A small anvil usually furnished with a tang to enter a hole in a bench top, as used by tinsmiths, blacksmiths, etc., for light work, punching upon, etc.
  7. (Mormonism) A territorial division comprising all the Mormons (typically several thousand) in a geographical area.
    • (Can we date this quote?), Schaff-Herzog Encyc.
      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.

Synonyms

  • (croquet): peg

Derived terms

Related terms

Translations

Verb

stake ‎(third-person singular simple present stakes, present participle staking, simple past and past participle staked)

  1. (transitive) To fasten, support, defend, or delineate with stakes.
    to stake vines or plants.
  2. (transitive) To pierce or wound with a stake.
    • 1861, George Eliot, Silas Marner
      You see, I'd made a bargain with him to buy the horse for a hundred and twenty—a swinging price, but I always liked the horse. And what does he do but go and stake him—fly at a hedge with stakes in it, atop of a bank with a ditch before it.
  3. (transitive) To put at risk upon success in competition, or upon a future contingency.
    • (Can we date this quote?), Alexander Pope
      I'll stake yon lamb, that near the fountain plays.
  4. (transitive) To provide another with money in order to engage in an activity as betting or a business venture.
    John went broke, so to keep him playing, Jill had to stake him.
    His family staked him $10,000 to get his business started.

Synonyms

Derived terms

Translations

Anagrams

Dutch

Verb

stake

  1. (archaic) singular past subjunctive of steken
  2. (archaic) singular present subjunctive of staken

Anagrams

Swedish

Etymology

From Old Swedish staki, from Old Norse staki, from Proto-Germanic *stakô, from Proto-Indo-European *steg-.

Noun

stake c

  1. (short for ljusstake) candlestick
  2. (vulgar) erection
  3. (vulgar) erect ****
  4. (slang, uncountable) guts, spine; courage, assertiveness

Declension

Inflection of stake 
Singular Plural
Indefinite Definite Indefinite Definite
Nominative stake staken stakar stakarna
Genitive stakes stakens stakars stakarnas

Related terms

Etymology

From Middle English stake, from Old English staca ‎(“pin, tack, stake”), from Proto-Germanic *stakô ‎(“stake”), from Proto-Indo-European *stog-, *steg- ‎(“stake”). Cognate with Scots stak, staik, Saterland Frisian Stak, West Frisian staak, Dutch staak, Low German Stake, Norwegian stake.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /steɪk/
  • Homophone: steak
  • Rhymes: -eɪk

Similar Results