ante

Short definition from Wiktionary

Noun

1. 1
   A price or cost, as in up the ante.
2. 2
   In poker and other games, the contribution made by all players to the pot, often before dealing all the cards.

Verb

1. 1
   To pay the ante in poker. Often used as ante up.
2. 2
   To make an investment in money, effort, or time before knowing one's chances.

Proper noun

1. 1
   A surname.