noun
stave
stayv
noun
1
One of the curved wooden strips fitted together to form the side of a barrel or cask.
"The cooper replaced a cracked stave in the old wine barrel."
2
A stanza of a poem or song; also the set of five lines music is written on.
"He sang the final stave of the ballad from memory."
verb
1
To break a hole in something, especially a barrel or boat hull ("stave in").
"The rocks staved in the side of the small dinghy."
2
To keep something away or delay it, especially in the phrase "stave off."
"Drinking water regularly can help stave off dehydration on a hike."
"The loan staved off bankruptcy for another year."
How to Use Stave
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishMost often seen today in the phrase "stave off" — to hold something unwanted at bay for a while.
Common pairings
stave off hunger
stave off disaster
stave in the hull
Word Forms
staved past tense, stove past tense, stoven past tense, staves plural, Staves plural, staves singular
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The cooper replaced a cracked _____ in the old wine barrel.
Etymology
A back-formation from "staves," the old plural of "staff."