STAFF


Meaning of STAFF in English

~ 1

■ noun

1》 [treated as sing. or plural ] the employees of a particular organization.

↘a group of officers assisting an officer in command of an army formation or administration headquarters.

↘(usu. Staff ) short for ~ sergeant .

2》 a long stick used as a support or weapon.

↘a rod or sceptre held as a sign of office or authority.

↘ Surveying a rod for measuring distances or heights.

3》 Brit. a spindle in a watch.

4》 Music another term for stave (in sense 2).

5》 Brit. a token in the form of a rod given to a train driver as authority to proceed over a single-track line.

■ verb provide with ~.

Phrases

the ~ of life bread or another staple food.

Origin

OE stæf (in sense 2), of Gmc origin.

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~ 2

■ noun a mixture of plaster of Paris, cement, etc. used for temporary building work.

Origin

C19: of unknown origin.

Concise Oxford English vocab.      Сжатый оксфордский словарь английского языка.