A stakeout is a long, secret watch on a place — usually by police, sitting in a car or an empty room across the street, waiting hour after hour for a suspect to show up or a crime to happen. The two ideas inside the word are hiding and waiting: nobody is meant to know you are there, and nothing much happens for a very long time, which is why films always show the coffee and the boredom.

A stakeout stakeout 是指 is a long, secret watch on a place長時間祕密盯著一個地方——usually by police通常是警察，sitting in a car or an empty room across the street坐在車裡或對街一間空屋裡，waiting hour after hour一小時一小時地等 for a suspect to show up等嫌犯出現 or a crime to happen或案件發生。The two ideas inside the word這個字裡藏著兩個概念 are hiding and waiting是躲藏和等待：nobody is meant to know you are there沒有人該知道你在那裡，and而且 nothing much happens很久都不會有什麼事發生 for a very long time，which is why這就是為什麼 films always show電影總是會拍出 the coffee and the boredom咖啡和無聊。

It is a countable noun ('a three-day stakeout'), and it comes from the two-word verb 'stake out' — police stake out a house, and the operation itself is the stakeout. Reporters use it too, for camping outside a celebrity's or politician's door waiting for a comment.

It它 is a countable noun是個可數名詞('a three-day stakeout'「a three-day stakeout」)，and而且 it它 comes from是從 the two-word verb 'stake out'這個兩字動詞 'stake out' 來的——police警察會 stake out a house盯梢一間房子，and而 the operation itself這整個行動本身 is the stakeout就叫做 stakeout。Reporters記者 use it too也會用這個字，for camping outside指的是守在 a celebrity's or politician's door名人或政治人物家門口 waiting for a comment等一句評論。

In loose, joking everyday use, people stretch it much further: waiting outside a shop for a limited-edition sale, or watching the office pantry to catch whoever keeps taking your lunch. The word belongs to news reports, crime dramas, and casual speech rather than formal writing — an official document would say 'surveillance operation'.

In loose, joking everyday use在輕鬆、開玩笑的日常用法裡，people人們 stretch it much further把這個字延伸得更廣：waiting outside a shop在店門口等 for a limited-edition sale等限量商品開賣，or或 watching the office pantry守著辦公室的茶水間 to catch whoever keeps taking your lunch抓出到底是誰一直偷吃你的午餐。The word這個字 belongs to news reports, crime dramas, and casual speech屬於新聞報導、犯罪劇、和輕鬆口語，rather than formal writing而不是正式書面語——an official document一份正式文件 would say會說 'surveillance operation'「surveillance operation」（監視行動）。