stave Definition

stave
noun

1. Any of the vertical wooden strips that are joined together to form a barrel, tub, boat hull, etc.
2. Any bar, rod, shaft, etc, especially a wooden one, eg a rung on a ladder.
3. music.
A staff (noun 5).
4. A verse of a poem or song.

verb staved, stove, staving

1a. To smash (a hole, etc in something);

Example: The door was staved in
Form: stave in (often)
1b. To break (a stave or the staves of a barrel or boat).

Form: stave in (often)
staved
2a. To delay the onset of something;

Example: tried to stave off his downfall by calling an election
Form: stave off (often)
staved
2b. To ward off something.

Example: staved her hunger with an apple
Thesaurus: avert, fend off, hold off, keep at bay, parry, ward off.
Form: stave off (often)
3. To fit or repair with staves.
(Scot)
4. To accidently bend back (a finger or toe) and injure the joint at its base.

Example: staved my finger playing netball

Etymology: 14c: a back-formation from staves, a plural of staff.