stake

Etymology

Definitions

1. 1

   A piece of wood or other material, usually long and slender, pointed at one end so as to…

   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.
   • A sharpened stake strong Dryas found.
2. 2

   A piece of wood driven in the ground, placed in the middle of the court, that is used as…

   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.

3. 3

   A stick or similar object (e.g., steel channel or angle stock) inserted upright in a lop,…

   A stick or similar object (e.g., steel channel or angle stock) 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; often connected in a grid forming a stakebody.

4. ›+ 11 more definitionsshow fewer

   1. 4

      The piece of timber to which a person condemned to death was affixed to be burned.

      • Thomas Cranmer was burnt at the stake.
      • However, the word "witch" came to be applied almost exclusively to women who [...] were usually old and ugly, and for this reason many unfortunate old ladies, whose only crimes were loneliness and a lack of beauty, went to the stake.
   2. 5

      A share or interest in a business or a given situation.

      • The owners let the managers eventually earn a stake in the business.
      • The French Government is Eurostar's majority shareholder, with the country's state-owned railway SNCF holding a 55% stake, while Belgian state operator SNCB has a 5% stake.
   3. 6

      That which is laid down as a wager

      That which is laid down as a wager; that which is staked or hazarded; a pledge.

   4. 7

      A small anvil usually furnished with a tang to enter a hole in a bench top, as used by…

      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 hole in or cutting a work piece, or for specific forming techniques etc.

   5. 8

      A territorial division comprising all the Mormons (typically several thousand) in a…

      A territorial division comprising all the Mormons (typically several thousand) in a geographical area.

      • 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.
   6. 9

      To fasten, support, defend, or delineate with stakes.

      • to stake vines or plants
   7. 10

      To pierce or wound with a stake.

      • “You ladies happen to notice what happened to this vampire? This just happened. Did you see who staked him?”
   8. 11

      To put at risk upon success in competition, or upon a future contingency.

      • I'll ſtake my Lamb that near the Fountain plays, / And from the Brink his dancing Shade ſurveys.
   9. 12

      To provide (another) with money in order to engage in an activity as betting or a…

      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.
   10. 13

       To deposit and risk a considerable amount of cryptocurrency in order to participate in…

       To deposit and risk a considerable amount of cryptocurrency in order to participate in the proof of stake process of verification.

   11. 14

       A surname.

The neighborhood