grubstake

• grub-stake

grub +‎ stake

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grubstake (plural grubstakes)

1. (mining) Money, materials, tools, food etc. provided to a prospector in return for a share in future profits.
   • 1918, Jack London, Like Argus of the Ancient Times:

     I've been through hell. The other three are all at work and healthy, getting grub-stake to prospect up White River this winter.

2. (business) An amount of money advanced to someone starting a business in return for a share of the future profits.
3. Money, necessities stockpiled to sustain an effort for a period of time.
   • 1903, U.S. Geological Survey professional paper, page 35:

     No one however should go to this country intending to mine without taking with him a year's supplies commonly known as a grub stake or its money equivalent about $1,000.

   • 1936, Philip Ashton Rollins, The Cow Boy: An Unconventional History of Civilization on the Old-time‎, page 34:

     However, each of these words might, on occasion, be used in a different sense, [...], "grub-stake" to denote one's food supply, regardless of how obtained.

   • 2013, The Economist, Manufacturing metals: a tantalizing prospect‎:

     The resulting income, the firm hopes, will provide it with the grubstake it needs to move on to the big prize: titanium.

grubstake (third-person singular simple present grubstakes, present participle grubstaking, simple past and past participle grubstaked)

1. (transitive) To supply such funds to.
   • 1910, Jack London, Burning Daylight, part 1 chapter 3:

     "Nobody grub-stakes me," was the answer. "I stake myself, and when I make a killing it's sure all mine. [...] "