Ante up

Poker. a fixed but arbitrary stake put into the pot by each player before the deal.
an amount of money paid in advance to insure an individual’s share in a joint business venture.
Informal. an individual’s share of the total expenses incurred by a group.
Informal. the price or cost of something.
Poker. to put (one’s initial stake) into the pot.
to produce or pay (one’s share) (usually followed by up):
He anted up his half of the bill.
Poker. to put one’s initial stake into the pot.
Informal. to pay (usually followed by up).
Contemporary Examples

Even a bluffing superpower can be forced to ante up … or perhaps fold as casualties mount and treasury accounts go bust.
War Is the New Peace: American Vets Reflect on Syria John Kael Weston September 9, 2013

Historical Examples

“She made me ante up ten quid this time,” he would observe—expecting sympathy.
Tom Gerrard Louis Becke

noun
the gaming stake put up before the deal in poker by the players
(informal) a sum of money representing a person’s share, as in a syndicate
(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
to place (one’s stake) in poker
(usually foll by up) (informal, mainly US) to pay

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.”

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]

Related Terms

penny ante, up the ante
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