What does 'at stake' mean? Is it an idiom?

[angiela]

Test No. incompl/advan-10 "Finance (2)", question 8

The future of his job was at ......... when he made the decision to invest in new machinery.

(a) steak
(b) state
(c) stake
(d) stress

Test No. incompl/advan-10 "Finance (2)", answer 8

The future of his job was at stake when he made the decision to invest in new machinery.

Correct answer: (c) stake

Your answer was: n/a
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what is stake?

[Alan]

Stake is a wooden bar on which food is sometimes rotated over a fire to be cooked and in the past so were people!! At stake means in a state of risk.
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