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View synonyms for

stave

[ steyv ]

noun

  1. one of the thin, narrow, shaped pieces of wood that form the sides of a cask, tub, or similar vessel.
  2. a stick, rod, pole, or the like.
  3. a rung of a ladder, chair, etc.
  4. Prosody.
    1. a verse or stanza of a poem or song.
    2. the alliterating sound in a line of verse, as the w- sound in wind in the willows.


verb (used with object)

staved or stove, staving.
  1. to break in a stave or staves of (a cask or barrel) so as to release the wine, liquor, or other contents.
  2. to release (wine, liquor, etc.) by breaking the cask or barrel.
  3. to break or crush (something) inward (often followed by in ).
  4. to break (a hole) in, especially in the hull of a boat.
  5. to break to pieces; splinter; smash.
  6. to furnish with a stave or staves.
  7. to beat with a stave or staff.

verb (used without object)

staved or stove, staving.
  1. to become staved in, as a boat; break in or up.
  2. to move along rapidly.

verb phrase

    1. to put, ward, or keep off, as by force or evasion.
    2. to prevent in time; forestall:

      He wasn't able to stave off bankruptcy.

stave

/ ٱɪ /

noun

  1. any one of a number of long strips of wood joined together to form a barrel, bucket, boat hull, etc
  2. any of various bars, slats, or rods, usually of wood, such as a rung of a ladder or a crosspiece bracing the legs of a chair
  3. any stick, staff, etc
  4. a stanza or verse of a poem
  5. music
    1. an individual group of five lines and four spaces used in staff notation
    2. another word for staff 1
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

verb

  1. often foll by in to break or crush (the staves of a boat, barrel, etc) or (of the staves of a boat) to be broken or crushed
  2. trusually foll byin to burst or force (a hole in something)
  3. tr to provide (a ladder, chair, etc) with a stave or staves
  4. tr to sprain (a finger, toe, etc)
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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Other Word Forms

  • ܲ·ٲ adjective
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Word History and Origins

Origin of stave1

First recorded in 1125–75; (noun) Middle English, back formation from staves; (verb) derivative of the noun
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Word History and Origins

Origin of stave1

C14: back formation from staves , plural of staff 1
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Synonym Study

See verse.
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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

In recent weeks, she and other city officials have been lobbying Gov. Gavin Newsom and the state legislature to provide a relief package that would stave off most or even all of those job cuts.

From

Having a garage sale isn’t going to stave off economic doom.

From

In trying to stave off effective interest rates on bonds rising to 5%, the US needs deals more than just those in surplus countries.

From

Another Trump backer, the billionaire fund manager Bill Ackman, has called for a pause on the tariffs to stave off what he called "major global economic disruption."

From

In another unforgettable image from the finale, Laurie shows up to dinner with her friends after a day of staving off an alcohol-and-life-choices hangover.

From

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Stavangerstave off