A stakeout is when police or detectives watch a specific location for hours or even days, waiting to catch someone or gather evidence. Officers might park an unmarked car down the street from a suspect's house, taking turns watching to see who comes and goes. They stay hidden, often for long stretches, observing and taking notes about everything they see.

During a stakeout, officers need patience and alertness. They might sit in their car for eight hours waiting for a suspect to appear, or they might watch a warehouse where they believe stolen goods are hidden.

Stakeouts aren't as exciting as they look in movies. Real ones involve a lot of waiting, cold coffee, and careful note-taking. But they work: many criminals have been caught because patient detectives noticed patterns during a stakeout, like seeing the same person visit a location at the same time each day.

The term has spread beyond police work. You might jokingly say you're on a stakeout when you're waiting to see if your neighbor's new puppy comes outside, or watching to catch whoever's been taking your lunch from the fridge.