[Of uncertain etymology.
Perh. f. STAKE v.3 On the alternative supposition that the sb. is the source of the vb., the former may be the same word as STAKE sb.1 The peculiar use might have been developed from the phrase on the stake, which may originally have referred to a custom of placing on a ‘stake’ or post the object (an article of clothing or the like) hazarded on the event of a game or contest. There is, however, no evidence of the existence of such a custom; and in our quots. the first example of the phrase is dated 1592, while the use of the sb. to denote the money risked on a game of dice is more than half a century older.]
1. That which is placed at hazard; esp. a sum of money or other valuable commodity deposited or guaranteed, to be taken by the winner of a game, race, contest, etc.
1540. Palsgr., Acolastus, IV. iii. T j. All the stakes and settynges that be sette within the dyce borde, whiche lye on lyttell heapes.
1611. Shaks., Wint. T., I. ii. 248. A Foole, That seest a Game play’d home, the rich Stake drawne, And tak’st it all for ieast.
1630. R. Johnson’s Kingd. & Commw., 41. He that winnes the game, gets not only the maine Stake, but all the Bets by follow the fortune of his hand.
1673. [R. Leigh], Transp. Reh., 88. Let who will be the gamesters, he is sure to sweep the stakes.
1808. Scott, Marmion, I. xxii. Full well at tables can he play And sweep at bowls the stake away. Ibid. (1821), Kenilw., ii. Our landlord here shall hold stakes.
1878. H. Gibbs, Ombre, 9. Even at low stakes one may lose or gain enough to give interest to the game.
1884. Tennyson, Cup, I. iii. 79. [I] am no such gamester As, having won the stake, would dare the chance Of double or losing all.
b. fig. and in figurative context.
1581. J. Bell, Haddon’s Answ. Osor., 403 b. Upon what grew this inequabilitie and parcialitie of dispensation [of pardons], if there were no stakes layed doune for the game?
1601. Ld. Mountjoy, in Moryson’s Itin. (1617), II. 145. For now Jacta est alea between England and Spaine and we that doe play the game have least interest in the stake.
1681. Dryden, Abs. & Achit., I. 457. The Sword, Which for no less a Stake than Life you Draw.
1784. Cowper, Tiroc., 863. Can’st thou … Lay such a stake upon the losing side, Merely to gratify so blind a guide?
1827. Hallam, Const. Hist. (1876), II. x. 278. The royalists in England, who played so deep a stake on the king’s account.
1878. Bosw. Smith, Carthage, 121. The prize was small … and the stake large, but they staked and lost it.
c. fig. To have a stake in (an event, a concern, etc.): to have something to gain or lose by the turn of events, to have an interest in; esp. in to have a stake in the country (said of those who hold landed property).
1784. Sir A. Dick, in Boswell’s Johnson (1904), II. 526. With my most affectionate wishes for Dr. Johnson’s recovery, in which his friends, his country, and all mankind have so deep a stake.
1807. Windian, Sp. Ho. Comm., 22 July, in Hansard, IX. 897. Those entrusted with arms … should be persons of some substance and stake in the country.
1865. Livingstone, Zambesi, Introd. 8. And will probably always have the largest commercial stake in the African continent.
1909. P. H. Brown, Hist. Scot., I. IV. viii. 351. By her traditional alliance with France Scotland came to have a stake in this struggle.
d. Phrases. † To part stakes: see PART v. 10 b. Similarly † to share, divide stakes. To draw stakes, to withdraw what is staked as a wager, etc.
1554. Philpot, in Coverdale, Lett. Martyrs (1564), 246. Communicate your necessities to me, and to others of his people, and God will make vs to deuide stakes.
1594. J. Dickenson, Arisbas (1878), 56. But belike the god himselfe ment to share stakes.
1653. W. Ramesey, Astrol. Restored, 186. But after a tedious dispute they shall leave off and draw stakes.
1662. J. Davies, trans. Olearius’ Voy. Ambass., 300. The King of Persia farms out the Mint to private Persons, who gain most by it, and share stakes with the money-changers.
1708. [see DRAW v. 37].
1758. Goldsm., Mem. Protestant (1895), I. 43. After two or three Conferences, he drew Stakes and declined the Dispute.
2. In certain phrases: The condition of being staked. lit. and fig.
In some of the early quots. the sb. in these phrases is taken (either by misapprehension or conscious word-play) as STAKE sb.1 1 b.
† a. To be, lie at or on the stake, to put, lay, lay down or set (a thing) at stake or at the stake.
1592. Greene, Conny Catch., 7. So they vie and reuie til some ten shillings be on the stake.
1601. Shaks., All’s Well, II. iii. 156. King. My honor’s at the stake. Ibid. (1601), Twel. N., III. i. 129. Haue you not set mine Honor at the stake, And baited it with all th’ vnmuzled thoughts That tyrannous heart can think. Ibid. (1604), Oth., IV. ii. 13. Æmil. I durst (my Lord) to wager, she is honest: Lay downe my Soule at stake.
1622. Bacon, Hen. VII. (1876), 34. He … saw plainly that his kingdom must again be put to the stake, and that he must fight for it.
a. 1660. Contemp. Hist. Irel. (Ir. Archæol. Soc.), III. 9. All that is deere unto us and our posteritie is now at the last fatall stacke.
1663. Butler, Hud., I. i. 735. Are not our Liberties, our Lives, The Laws, Religion, and our Wives Enough at once to lye at stake?
1697. Dryden, Virg. Past., III. 40. My Brinded Heifer to the Stake I lay:… Now back your Singing with an equal Stake.
b. fig. (To be) at stake, to have at stake.
1606. Shaks., Tr. & Cr., III. iii. 227. I see my reputation is at stake My fame is shrowdly gored.
1722. Steele, Consc. Lovers, II. i. I have more than Life at stake on your Fidelity.
1851. Dixon, W. Penn, x. (1872), 85. His private case was nothing, while so great a principle was at stake.
1875. Jowett, Plato (ed. 2), IV. 227. He may be fairly appealed to, when the honour of his master is at stake.
3. pl. in Horse-racing, Coursing, etc., the sums of money staked or subscribed by the owners who enter horses or dogs for a contest, the whole to be received as the prize by the owner of the winner or divided among the owners of the animals ‘placed,’ as declared in the conditions of the contest. Hence in sing. (cf. SWEEPSTAKE) a race for money thus staked or subscribed. Also in pl. with defining words as the designation of particular races or classes of races in which the sum of money staked is the prize as distinguished from a Plate (see PLATE sb. 17), Cup, or the like.
Produce stakes: (a) in Horse-racing, a race in which the runners must be the offspring of horses named and described at the time of entry; a produce race; (b) in Coursing, a race for puppies, i.e., for dogs of from one to two years of age; also called Puppy stakes. Sapling stakes: in Coursing, a race for saplings, i.e., dogs of less than one year old (see SAPLING 4 b). Subscription stakes: in Horse-racing, a race for which subscribers of a fixed amount annually have the right to enter one or more horses.
1696. Lond. Gaz., No. 3175/4. Strangers for the 30 l. Plate are to put in 4 l. and for the 20 1. Plate, 2 l. The Stakes are to go to the 2d Horse.
1730. J. Cheny, List Horse-Matches, 86. On … the following Day was a Purse of 20 l. Sterling,… en. 2 Guineas, Stakes 10 Guineas. Ibid. (1734), 1 The following five Year Olds started for a Purse of 600 Guineas, call’d the Wallasey Stakes.
1778. in J. S. Fletcher, Hist. St. Leger Stakes (1902), ii. 40. Tuesday, September 22.—The St. Leger Stakes of 25 gs. each, for three-year olds.
1833. Apperley, Turf (1852), 124. The system lately adopted of produce-stakes for half-bred horses. Ibid., 129. There are upwards of a hundred horses besides himself named for the stake [i.e., the Derby].
18[?]. Turf Expositor, in Blaine, Encycl. Rural Sports (1840), § 1268. 364. Cocktails are horses which appear as racers, but are understood not to be thoroughbred…. They run for hunters’ stakes, and also for what are called half-bred stakes.
1840. Blaine, Ibid., § 1288. 369. By the winning of stakes alone, if honesty did but conduct the race, much money might be won, so as to remunerate … the vast sums which are expended in breeding, rearing, and training the best blood.
1856. ‘Stonehenge,’ Brit. Rural Sports, I. III. viii. 205/2. Puppy Stakes…. In all produce stakes, the description of the puppy to contain its name, age, and pedigree [etc.].
1895. Westm. Gaz., 30 Nov., 7/2. The cost [of horse-racing] is positively frightful in these days of heavy subscription stakes.
1898. Encycl. Sport, I. 201/2. (Coursing), It was in the year 1836 that the proprietor of the Waterloo Hotel in Liverpool improvised an eight-dog stake, which he styled the Waterloo Cup.
4. slang. (See quot. 1812.)
1812. J. H. Vaux, Flash Dict., s.v., A booty acquired by robbery, or a sum of money won at play, is called a stake, and if considerable, a prime stake, a heavy stake; a person alluding to any thing difficult to be procured … would say, I consider it a stake to get it at all.
1891. C. Roberts, Adrift Amer., 114. He had made a pretty good stake, and wanted to go east for the winter.
5. attrib. and Comb., as stake-money; stake-holder, one who holds the stake or stakes of a wager, etc.; also transf. (quot. 1858).
1708. Brit. Apollo, No. 55. 2/1. Which will oblige Your Humble Servant *Stake Holder.
1815. Sporting Mag., XLV. 231. A Bank of England note, which was lodged in the hands of a stake-holder as a deposit.
1858. Ld. St. Leonards, Handy-bk. Prop. Law, IV. 20. Where the deposit is directed to be paid to the auctioneer, he is entitled to retain it until the contract is completed,… because he is considered as a stakeholder or depositary.
1810. Sporting Mag., XXXVI. 123. He fought Dutch Sam for his own *stake money.
