Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. to subject to preliminary analysis; to target.

1905		T.A. Dorgan in Zwilling TAD Lex. (1993) 78: Suppose you have the good thing all staked out, but you might switch before you plant the roll.
1913		J. London Valley of the Moon (1914) 220: An’ there’s another fellow I got staked out that’ll be my meat when this strike’s over.
2001		D. Looser Boobslang [U. Canterbury D.Phil. thesis] 176/1: stake out v. to conduct intelligence work prior to committing a crime.

2. to conduct a surveillance.

1942		Berrey & Van den Bark Amer. Thes. Sl.
1954		(con. 1939) C. Chessman Cell 2455 164: I stepped into a car the Glendale police had staked out.
1969		H. Ellison ‘A Boy and his Dog’ in Beast that Shouted Love (1976) 194: They’ll have the place staked-out all around.
1975		E. Torres Carlito’s Way 109: You don’t know [...] whether they been staked out next door for a month.
1989		C. Hiaasen Skin Tight 231: We’ve got a guy staking out the medical clinic.
1990		(con. early 1950s) J. Ellroy L.A. Confidential 37: He was cramped in his car, staking the Malibu Rendezvous parking lot.
1990		J. Wambaugh Golden Orange (1991) 50: We stake out the apartment.
2001		K. Sampson Outlaws (ms.) 50: Haven’t done this in a long while to be fair, staking some cunt out like this.
2012		A. Bergen ‘Dread Fellow Churls’ in Crime Factory: Hard Labour [ebook] D’you always get this tanked beore you go stake out someone?

3. (US Und.) to find a target for a robbery.

1952

Lait & Mortimer USA Confidential 16: Burglars cannot operate without ‘fingermen’ who stake them out and fences who dispose of the loot – jewels, furs or hot money.

4. to wait in a place in the hope of making an encounter, e.g. of the media.

1990		S. Morgan Homeboy 157: The media had the Hall of Justice front steps staked out.
1997		N. Barlay Curvy Lovebox 155: They probably staked out my place.