stave something ↔ off phrasal verb ( past tense and past participle staved ) ( see also ↑ stave )
to keep someone or something from reaching you or affecting you for a period of time:
She brought some fruit on the journey to stave off hunger.
stave something ↔ off phrasal verb ( past tense and past participle staved ) ( see also ↑ stave )
to keep someone or something from reaching you or affecting you for a period of time:
She brought some fruit on the journey to stave off hunger.
Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English. Longman - Словарь современного английского языка. 2012