ante

[an-tee] /ˈæn ti/
noun
1.
Poker. a fixed but arbitrary stake put into the pot by each player before the deal.
2.
an amount of money paid in advance to insure an individual's share in a joint business venture.
3.
Informal. an individual's share of the total expenses incurred by a group.
4.
Informal. the price or cost of something.
verb (used with object), anted or anteed, anteing.
5.
Poker. to put (one's initial stake) into the pot.
6.
to produce or pay (one's share) (usually followed by up):
He anted up his half of the bill.
verb (used without object), anted or anteed, anteing.
7.
Poker. to put one's initial stake into the pot.
8.
Informal. to pay (usually followed by up).
Origin
1830-40, Americanism; independent use of ante-
Can be confused
ante, ante-, anti-, auntie.
British Dictionary definitions for ante up

ante

/ˈæntɪ/
noun
1.
the gaming stake put up before the deal in poker by the players
2.
(informal) a sum of money representing a person's share, as in a syndicate
3.
(informal) up the ante, to increase the costs, risks, or considerations involved in taking an action or reaching a conclusion: whenever they reached their goal, they upped the ante by setting more complex challenges for themselves
verb -tes, -teing, -ted, -teed
4.
to place (one's stake) in poker
5.
(usually foll by up) (informal, mainly US) to pay
Word Origin and History for ante up

ante

1838 (n.), 1846 (v.), American English poker slang, apparently from Latin ante "before," from PIE *anti "facing opposite, near, in front of, before" (cf. Sanskrit antah "end, border, boundary," Hittite hanti "opposite," Greek anta, anten "opposite," anti "over against, opposite, before;" Old Lithuanian anta "on to;" Gothic anda "along;" Old English and- "against;" German ent- "along, against"), from root *ant- "front, forehead."

Slang definitions & phrases for ante up

ante up

verb phrase

To contribute money one is responsible for or is expected to give: On April 15 we all ante up to Uncle Sam

[1800s+; fr the poker term for an initial contribution to the pot as a game begins]


ante

Related Terms

penny ante, up the ante


Idioms and Phrases with ante up

ante up

Pay what is due, contribute; by extension, do one's share. For example, The trustees were asked to ante up $10,000 each for the new scholarship , or Tired of watching Joe sit around while they cleaned up, the roommates told him to ante up or move out . This expression comes from poker and other betting games, where to ante signifies making a bet or contribution to the pot before the cards are dealt. It was being used more loosely by the mid-1800s. Also see raise the ante