stake

stake¹ W3 [steık] n

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1 at stake

2¦(company/business)¦

3 have a stake in something

4¦(money risked)¦

5 high stakes

6¦(pointed stick)¦

7 the stake

8 in the popularity/fashion etc stakes

9 (be prepared to) go to the stake for/over something

10 pull up stakes

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[: Old English; Origin: staca 'sharp post']

1.) at stake

if something that you value very much is at stake, you will lose it if a plan or action is not successful

▪ They have to win the contract - thousands of jobs are at stake.

▪ National pride is at stake in next week's game against England.

2.) ¦(COMPANY/BUSINESS)¦

if you have a stake in a business, you have ↑invested money in it

hold/have a stake in sth

▪ He holds a 51% stake in the firm.

3.) have a stake in sth

if you have a stake in something, you will get advantages if it is successful, and you feel that you have an important connection with it

▪ Young people don't feel they have a stake in the country's future.

4.) ¦(MONEY RISKED)¦

money that you risk as the result of a horse race, card game etc

▪ For a dollar stake, you can win up to $1,000,000.

5.) high stakes

a) if the stakes are high when you are trying to do something, you risk losing a lot or it will be dangerous if you fail

▪ Climbing is a dangerous sport and the stakes are high .

b) if the stakes are high when you are doing something such as playing a card game, you risk losing a lot of money

▪ We're playing for high stakes here.

6.) ¦(POINTED STICK)¦

a pointed piece of wood, metal etc, especially one that is pushed into the ground to support something or mark a particular place

▪ tent stakes

▪ Drive two stakes into the ground about three feet apart.

7.) the stake

a post to which a person was tied in former times before being killed by burning

▪ Suspected witches were burnt at the stake .

8.) in the popularity/fashion etc stakes

used when saying how popular, fashionable etc someone or something is

▪ Ben wouldn't score very highly in the popularity stakes.

9.) (be prepared to) go to the stake for/over sth

BrE to be willing to do anything to protect or defend an idea, or belief

▪ That's my opinion, but I wouldn't go to the stake for it.

10.) pull up stakes also up stakes BrE informal to leave your job or home

▪ We're going to pull up stakes and move to Montana.

stake ²

stake² v [T]

1.) to risk losing something that is valuable or important to you on the result of something

stake sth on sb/sth

▪ Kevin is staking his reputation on the success of the project.

▪ Jim staked his whole fortune on one card game.

2.) I'd stake my life on it

spoken used when saying that you are completely sure that something is true, or that something will happen

▪ I'm sure that's Jesse - I'd stake my life on it.

3.) also stake up

to support something with stakes

▪ Young trees have to be staked.

4.) also stake off

to mark or enclose an area of ground with stakes

▪ A corner of the field has been staked off.

5.) stake (out) a claim

to say publicly that you think you have a right to have or own something

stake (out) a claim to

▪ Both countries staked a claim to the islands.

stake out [stake sth<=>out] phr v

1.) to watch a place secretly and continuously

→↑stakeout

▪ Police officers have been staking out the warehouse for weeks.

2.) to mark or control a particular area so that you can have it or use it

▪ We went to the show early to stake out a good spot.

3.) to state your opinions about something in a way that shows how your ideas are clearly separate from other people's ideas

▪ Johnson staked out the differences between himself and the other candidates.