ante
[ˈænti]
[ˈænti]
An ante is an amount of money put into a game or competition at the start.
When we talk about betting or competing, "ante" usually means the initial sum that's contributed by each participant. For example, let's say you're playing poker with friends and everyone puts in a certain amount of chips as their ante. This gets the game started and helps set the stakes for the rest of the competition. Some people might think about ante as a kind of down payment or guarantee, since it's what they put at risk from the very beginning.
How common is "ante"?
Word ante is considered rare in modern English.
It appears most frequently in academic texts and less often in other writings.
It appears most frequently in academic texts and less often in other writings.
Definitions
noun
A price or cost, as in up the ante.
verb
To pay the ante in poker. Often used as ante up.
Real examples of "ante" in context
