stake 1 W3 / steɪk / 名词

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 [可数名词] if you have a stake in a business, you have invest ed money in it

hold/have a stake in something

He holds a 51% stake in the firm.

3 have a stake in something 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 [可数名词] 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 [可数名词] 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 something British English 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 British English ) informal to leave your job or home :

We’re going to pull up stakes and move to Montana.