The word 赌注 is formed by combining two characters, each contributing a core concept to create a new, unified meaning. The first character, 赌 (dǔ), means "to gamble" or "to bet", establishing the entire action and context. The second character, 注 (zhù), originally means "to pour" or "to inject", but here it is used metaphorically to mean "that which is staked" or "the thing pledged", like chips or money poured into the pot. Together, they visually and conceptually fuse the act of gambling with the specific item of value being risked, resulting in the complete meaning of "a wager" or "a stake" in a bet.