n.
Pronunciation: ' st ā k
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English, from Old English staca; akin to Middle Low German stake pole, and perhaps to Latin tignum beam
Date: before 12th century
1 : a pointed piece of wood or other material driven or to be driven into the ground as a marker or support
2 a : a post to which a person is bound for execution by burning b : execution by burning at a stake
3 a : something that is staked for gain or loss b : the prize in a contest c : an interest or share in an undertaking or enterprise
4 : a Mormon territorial jurisdiction comprising a group of wards
5 : GRUBSTAKE
6 : STAKES RACE ― usually used in plural but singular or plural in construction
– at stake : at issue : in jeopardy