n. A stake or pole projecting from, or set up before, an alehouse, as a sign; an alepole. At the end was commonly suspended a garland, a bunch of leaves, or a “bush.” [ Obs. ] Chaucer. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A stake or post set in the ground, for guests at a wedding to dance round. [ 1913 Webster ]

Divide the broad bridecake
Round about the bridestake. B. Jonson. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Liable to be mistaken; capable of being misconceived. Sir T. Browne. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & obs. p. p. Mistook p. p. Mistaken p. pr. & vb. n. Mistaking. ] [ Pref. mis- + take: cf. Icel. mistaka. ] 1. To take or choose wrongly. [ Obs. or R. ] Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To take in a wrong sense; to misunderstand misapprehend, or misconceive; as, to mistake a remark; to mistake one's meaning. Locke. [ 1913 Webster ]

My father's purposes have been mistook. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. To substitute in thought or perception; as, to mistake one person for another. [ 1913 Webster ]

A man may mistake the love of virtue for the practice of it. Johnson. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. To have a wrong idea of in respect of character, qualities, etc.; to misjudge. [ 1913 Webster ]

Mistake me not so much,
To think my poverty is treacherous. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. To err in knowledge, perception, opinion, or judgment; to commit an unintentional error. [ 1913 Webster ]

Servants mistake, and sometimes occasion misunderstanding among friends. Swift. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. An apprehending wrongly; a misconception; a misunderstanding; a fault in opinion or judgment; an unintentional error of conduct. [ 1913 Webster ]

Infallibility is an absolute security of the understanding from all possibility of mistake. Tillotson. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Law) Misconception, error, which when non-negligent may be ground for rescinding a contract, or for refusing to perform it. [ 1913 Webster ]

No mistake, surely; without fail; as, it will happen at the appointed time, and no mistake. [ Low ] [ 1913 Webster ]

Syn. -- Blunder; error; bull. See Blunder. [ 1913 Webster ]

p.a. 1. Being in error; judging wrongly; having a wrong opinion or a misconception; as, a mistaken man; he is mistaken. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Erroneous; wrong; as, a mistaken notion. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. By mistake. Goldsmith. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Erroneousness. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. One who mistakes. [ 1913 Webster ]

Well meaning ignorance of some mistakers. Bp. Hall. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. An error; a mistake. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. Erroneously. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. One who takes pains; one careful and faithful in all work. Gay. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Careful in doing; diligent; faithful; attentive. “Painstaking men.” Harris. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The act of taking pains; carefulness and fidelity in performance. Beau. & Fl. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ AS. staca, from the root of E. stick; akin to OFries. & LG. stake, D. staak, Sw. stake, Dan. stage. See Stick, v. t., and cf. Estacade, Stockade. ] 1. A piece of wood, usually long and slender, pointed at one end so as to be easily driven into the ground as a support or stay; as, a stake to support vines, fences, hedges, etc. [ 1913 Webster ]

A sharpened stake strong Dryas found. Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A stick inserted upright in a loop, eye, or mortise, at the side or end of a cart, a flat car, or the like, to prevent goods from falling off. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. The piece of timber to which a martyr was affixed to be burned; hence, martyrdom by fire. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. A small anvil usually furnished with a tang to enter a hole in a bench top, -- used by tinsmiths, blacksmiths, etc., for light work, punching upon, etc. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. That which is laid down as a wager; that which is staked or hazarded; a pledge. [ 1913 Webster ]

6. (Mormon Ch.) A territorial division; -- called also stake of Zion.

Every city, or “stake, ” including a chief town and surrounding towns, has its president, with two counselors; and this president has a high council of chosen men. Schaff-Herzog Encyc. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

At stake, in danger; hazarded; pledged. “I see my reputation is at stake.” Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Staked p. pr. & vb. n. Staking. ] 1. To fasten, support, or defend with stakes; as, to stake vines or plants. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To mark the limits of by stakes; -- with out; as, to stake out land; to stake out a new road. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. To put at hazard upon the issue of competition, or upon a future contingency; to wager; to pledge. [ 1913 Webster ]

I'll stake yon lamb, that near the fountain plays. Pope. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. To pierce or wound with a stake. Spectator. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Zool.) The common American bittern (Botaurus lentiginosus); -- so called because one of its notes resembles the sound made in driving a stake into the mud. Called also meadow hen, and Indian hen. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Rope Making) A horizontal bar on a stake, used for supporting the yarns which are kept apart by pins in the bar. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The holder of a stake; one with whom the bets are deposited when a wager is laid. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Gr. stakto`s falling by drops + -meter. ] A drop measurer; a glass tube tapering to a small orifice at the point, and having a bulb in the middle, used for finding the number of drops in equal quantities of different liquids. See Pipette. Sir D. Brewster. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. A winning of all the stakes or prizes. Heylin. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A complete removal or carrying away; a clean sweep. [ Obs. ] Bp. Hacket. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. A winning of all the stakes or prizes; a sweepstake. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. sing. or pl. The whole money or other things staked at a horse race, a given sum being put up for each horse, all of which goes to the winner, or is divided among several, as may be previously agreed. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. A race for all the sums staked or prizes offered. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. See Sweepstake. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. Altogether; indiscriminately. [ R. ] Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Incapable of being mistaken or misunderstood; clear; plain; obvious; evident. -- Un`mis*tak"a*bly, adv. [1913 Webster]