29 April 2016

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.
a verse or stanza of a poem or song.
the alliterating sound in a line of verse, as the w- sound in wind in the willows.
5. Music. staff1(def 10).
verb (used with object), staved or stove, staving.
6. to break in a stave or staves of (a cask or barrel) so as to release the wine, liquor, or other contents.
7. to release (wine, liquor, etc.) by breaking the cask or barrel.
8. to break or crush (something) inward (often followed by in).
9. to break (a hole) in, especially in the hull of a boat.
10. to break to pieces; splinter; smash.
11. to furnish with a stave or staves.
12. to beat with a stave or staff.
verb (used without object), staved or stove, staving.
13. to become staved in, as a boat; break in or up.
14. to move along rapidly.
Verb phrases
15. stave off,
to put, ward, or keep off, as by force or evasion.
to prevent in time; forestall:
He wasn’t able to stave off bankruptcy.

Origin of stave

1125-1175; (noun) Middle English, back formation from staves; (v.) derivative of the noun

Related forms

unstaved, adjective

Synonyms

4. See verse.

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for stave

Contemporary Examples

Will “loyalty cards” be enough to stave of a Republican massacre of House Democrats on Tuesday?
The Democrats’ Simple Midterm Weapon
Ben Jacobs
November 3, 2014

The amount was large: $125 billion in loans from the European Union to stave off the collapse of Spanish banks.
Markets Relieved at Spain Bailout Deal; Financial World Still Worried
Zachary Karabell
June 10, 2012

Anagram

a vest
sea TV

Today’s quote

These are bagpipes. I understand the inventor of the bagpipes was inspired when he saw a man carrying an indignant, asthmatic pig under his arm. Unfortunately, the man-made sound never equalled the purity of the sound achieved by the pig.

– Alfred Hitchcock

On this day

29 April 711 – Islamic conquest of Hispania as Moorish forces led by Tariq ibn-Ziyad land on Gibraltar in preparation for the invasion of Spain.

29 April 1770 – Captain James Cook names Botany Bay after landing there on this day.

29 April 1910 – British Parliament passes ‘The People’s Budget’, the first budget in British history that is aimed at redistributing wealth to all.

29 April 1945 – the Dacchau concentration camp near Munich is liberated by US forces.

29 April 1967 – Muhammad Ali stripped of his boxing title after refusing, on religious grounds, being drafted into the Army.

29 April 1980 – death of Alfred Hitchcock, English movie producer and director. Born 13 August 1899.