A Stake Is a Post, a Bet and a Share
A stake is a pointed post driven into the ground. It also means a wager and a financial interest.
A stake is a pointed post driven into the ground, and also money wagered or a share held in something. The betting sense probably comes from the practice of placing wagered money on a post or stake while the contest was decided. From there it became any interest at risk, which is why a *stakeholder* is someone with something to lose. *Steak* the meat is a completely separate word, from Old Norse *steik*, something roasted on a spit.
- A pointed post. *Drive in a stake.*
- A wager. *Raise the stakes.*
- A share. *A ten per cent stake.*
- At stake — at risk. *Lives are at stake.*
- Old English — *staca*. *The source.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | stake | A stake. |
| Plural | stakes | The stakes. |
| Verb | stake | Stake a claim. |
| Agent | stakeholder | A stakeholder. |
| Homophone | steak | A steak. |
- Drive the stakes into the ground.Post.
- The stakes are high.Risk.
- She holds a stake in the firm.Share.
Stake phrases
- At stake — at risk of being lost
- Stake a claim — from marking land with posts
- Raise the stakes — increase what is being risked
- Stakeholder — anyone affected by an outcome
- Stakeout — police surveillance, from marking a position
Old English *staca*, a pin or post, of Germanic origin, related to *stick*.
Are stake and steak related?
No. Steak comes from Old Norse steik, something roasted on a spit. The identical sound is coincidence.
Where does stake a claim come from?
From mining and settlement, where a claimant marked the boundaries of a plot by driving stakes into the ground.