stakeout
stakeout
UK[ˈsteɪkaʊt]US[ˈsteɪkaʊt]
n
A period of secret surveillance of a building or an area by police in order to observe someone's activities.
n
The place from which such surveillance is carried out.
Morpheme Breakdown
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Etymology
The term 'stakeout' is a modern American English compound, originating in police jargon of the early 20th century. It creatively combines 'stake', evoking the image of a surveyor's boundary marker or a tethering point, with the particle 'out', suggesting being positioned in the open or on the exterior. The literal logic implies officers being posted or stationed outside a location, as if fixed to a stake, to maintain watch. This vivid metaphor for a fixed, covert observation post has become the standard term for this police procedure.
Analysis
Structure: stake + out
stake: From Old English staca (a post, a stake). In this compound, it functions metaphorically, implying a fixed position or point of observation.
out: From Old English ūt (out, outside, outward). In this compound, it functions as an adverbial particle indicating the external or exposed nature of the activity.
Examples
The detectives conducted a 48-hour stakeout on the suspect's apartment.
From their stakeout across the street, they observed several suspicious visitors.
The officer in the stakeout reported movement at the rear of the building.