(poker) the initial contribution that each player makes to the pot
"Before anyone could make a move, he checked his pocket change to see if he had enough for the ante."
A price or cost, as in up the ante.
"After he lost his first two hands at poker, my friend decided to double down and raise the stakes by putting more money into the pot."
place one's stake
"Before the dealer flips her cards, she decides to ante another five dollars into the pot to stay in the game."
To pay the ante in poker. Often used as ante up.
"Before the cards were dealt, everyone at the table had to ante up their dollar into the center pot."
A surname.
"The local news anchor introduced her guest as Maria Ante, a renowned architect from Chicago."