staff¹ /stäf/

1. A stick carried in the hand
2. A prop or support
3. A long piece of wood
4. A pole
5. A flagstaff
6. A long handle
7. A stick or ensign of authority
8. A token authorizing an engine-driver to proceed along a section of single-track railway
9. A set of lines and spaces on which music is written or printed
10. A stanza
11. (in a watch or clock) the spindle of a balance wheel (these meanings have pl staffs or staves /stāvz/; see also stave)
12. A body of officers who help a commanding officer, or perform special duties
13. A body of people employed in an establishment, usu on management, administration, clerical, etc work as distinct from manual
14. The body of teachers or lecturers in a school, college, university, etc (these three meanings have pl staffs /stäfs/)

1. Belonging or attached to the staff
2. Applied also to officers on the staff of a commanding officer, at central headquarters, etc

To provide with a staff

staffˈer noun

1. A member of the permanent staff of a business, etc, usu as opposed to temporary or casual employees
2. A member of the editorial staff of a newspaper (press)

staff college noun (military)

A college that trains officers for staff appointments

staff corps noun (military)

1. A body of officers and men assisting a commanding officer and his or her staff
2. Formerly, a body that supplied officers to the Indian Army

staff duty noun (military)

The occupation of an officer who serves on a staff, having been detached from his or her regiment

staff notation noun

Musical notation in which a staff is used, as opposed to the tonic sol-fa system

staff nurse noun

A nurse immediately below a sister in rank

staff officer noun (military)

An executive officer serving on a staff

staff of life noun

Staple food, esp bread

staffˈroom noun

A room for the use of the staff, as of a school

staff sergeant noun (military)

A non-commissioned officer ranking above a sergeant and below a warrant officer

staff surgeon noun

1. A navy surgeon of senior grade
2. An army surgeon on the staff of a hospital, not with his or her regiment

staffˈ-sysˈtem noun

A block-system that uses a staff

staffˈ-tree noun

Any of various American shrubs and climbing plants of the family Celastraceae (staffˈ-tree family) incl bittersweet and burning bush

stave /stāv/

1. One of the strips of wood of which a barrel or tub is made
2. A staff, rod, bar, shaft, esp wooden, as the rung of a ladder
3. A staff (music)
4. A stanza, verse of a song

1. To break a stave or the staves of (a boat or barrel; with in)
2. To break
3. To burst inward (with in)
4. To drive off, as with a staff
5. To delay, ward off or keep back (with off)
6. To put together, repair or fit with staves
7. To sprain, jar violently (fingers, toes, etc) (Scot)

1. To thrust onward (Scot)
2. To break up

• pellacks
• pellagra
• pellagras
• pellagrin
• pellagrins
• pellagrous
• pellet
• pelleted
• pelletified
• pelletifies
• pelletify
• pelletifying
• pelleting
• pelletisation
• pelletisations
• pelletise
• pelletised
• pelletises
• pelletising
• pelletization
• pelletizations
• pelletize
• pelletized
• pelletizes
• pelletizing