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Added 10 October 2026

stave

/steɪv/ noun

noun Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about stave at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

One of a number of narrow strips of wood, or narrow iron plates, placed edge to edge to form the sides, covering, or lining of a vessel or structure; especially, one of the strips which form the sides of a cask, barrel, pail, etc.
One of the bars or rounds of a rack, rungs of a ladder, etc; one of the cylindrical bars of a lantern wheel
A metrical portion; a stanza; a staff.

verb

To fit or furnish with staves or rundles. .mw-parser-output .defdate{font-size:smaller}
To break in the staves of; to break a hole in; to burst.
to stave in a cask
To push, or keep off, as with a staff.

Origin

Back-formation from staves, the plural of staff.

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

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