stake
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
n.a strong, pointed piece of wood or metal pushed into the ground to support something.
n.a piece of wood or metal, pointed at one end, designed to be driven into the ground as a support, marker, or tether.
Simple“He used a wooden stake to support the young tomato plant in the garden.”
In context“The surveyors drove a steel stake into the corner of the lot to mark the exact boundary of the property.”
- 02 C1 Advanced
n.a share or part of a business or a situation.
n.a financial or personal interest in an enterprise, often representing a percentage of ownership.
Simple“The company bought a twenty percent stake in the new tech startup.”
In context“Having a significant stake in the outcome of the merger, the shareholders demanded a more transparent reporting process.”
Synonyms - 03 B2 Upper Intermediate
n.the money or something valuable that you risk losing in a bet or a game.
n.the sum of money or value of property risked on the outcome of a wager or contest.
Simple“The stakes were high during the final round of the poker game.”
In context“In high-stakes diplomacy, even a minor misunderstanding can lead to a total breakdown of international relations.”
UsageOften used in the plural form 'stakes' when referring to the importance or risk of a situation.
- 04 B2 Upper Intermediate
v.to mark an area or support a plant using stakes.
v.to delineate, secure, or support by means of stakes; often used with 'out' to mean claiming territory.
Simple“The gold miners decided to stake their claim along the river bank.”
In context“The gardener spent the afternoon staking the tall lilies to protect them from the predicted heavy winds.”
- 05 C1 Advanced
v.to risk something valuable on a result, or to give someone money for a business.
v.to hazard or risk something on an event; also, to provide financial backing for a venture or person.
Simple“He was willing to stake his entire reputation on the success of the project.”
In context“The venture capitalist agreed to stake the young entrepreneur for the first year of operations in exchange for equity.”
“It recently launched a takeover approach for German brand Hugo Boss, which it has a stake in already.”
“More than 450,000 tourists had arrived in the country from as far as Canada and Australia, crisscrossing Spain by train, bus and caravan to stake out the perfect viewing spot.”
From Middle English stake, from Old English staca (“pin, tack, stake”), from Proto-West Germanic stakō, 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, Spanish estaca.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.