Stake

A stake is a long, pointed object thrust into the ground. Stakes have many applications, such as demarcating a small plot of land, anchoring ropes for a tent or other portable structure, or slowly releasing fertilizer to aid the growth of plants.

In folklore and mythology, a traditional way to kill a vampire is to hammer a wooden stake through its heart.

In the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints,a stake is a unit of local church government.Like the Church as a whole,each of the thousands of stakes is headed by a president (the stake president) and two counselors,advised by a council of twelve(the Stake High Council).Under the stake are the individual congregations (wards) and various bodies that coordinate them.