/ steɪv; NAmE / noun , verb
■ noun
1.
a strong stick or pole :
fence staves
2.
( BrE ) (also staff NAmE , BrE ) ( music ) a set of five lines on which music is written
■ verb
( staved , staved ) or ( stove , stove / stəʊv; NAmE stoʊv/)
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PHRASAL VERBS
- stave sth in
- stave sth off
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WORD ORIGIN
Middle English : back-formation from staves , archaic plural of staff . Current senses of the verb date from the early 17th cent.