Crossword clues for staves
staves
The Collaborative International Dictionary
Staff \Staff\ (st[.a]f), n.; pl. Staves (st[=a]vz or st[aum]vz; 277) or Staffs (st[.a]fs) in senses 1-9, Staffs in senses 10, 1
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[AS. st[ae]f a staff; akin to LG. & D. staf, OFries. stef, G. stab, Icel. stafr, Sw. staf, Dan. stav, Goth. stabs element, rudiment, Skr. sth[=a]pay to cause to stand, to place. See Stand, and cf. Stab, Stave, n.] 1. A long piece of wood; a stick; the long handle of an instrument or weapon; a pole or stick, used for many purposes; as, a surveyor's staff; the staff of a spear or pike.
And he put the staves into the rings on the sides of the altar to bear it withal.
--Ex. xxxviii. 7.With forks and staves the felon to pursue.
--Dryden. -
A stick carried in the hand for support or defense by a person walking; hence, a support; that which props or upholds. ``Hooked staves.''
--Piers Plowman.The boy was the very staff of my age.
--Shak.He spoke of it [beer] in ``The Earnest Cry,'' and likewise in the ``Scotch Drink,'' as one of the staffs of life which had been struck from the poor man's hand.
--Prof. Wilson. -
A pole, stick, or wand borne as an ensign of authority; a badge of office; as, a constable's staff.
Methought this staff, mine office badge in court, Was broke in twain.
--Shak.All his officers brake their staves; but at their return new staves were delivered unto them.
--Hayward. A pole upon which a flag is supported and displayed.
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The round of a ladder. [R.]
I ascended at one [ladder] of six hundred and thirty-nine staves.
--Dr. J. Campbell (E. Brown's Travels). -
A series of verses so disposed that, when it is concluded, the same order begins again; a stanza; a stave.
Cowley found out that no kind of staff is proper for an heroic poem, as being all too lyrical.
--Dryden. (Mus.) The five lines and the spaces on which music is written; -- formerly called stave.
(Mech.) An arbor, as of a wheel or a pinion of a watch.
(Surg.) The grooved director for the gorget, or knife, used in cutting for stone in the bladder.
[From Staff, 3, a badge of office.] (Mil.) An establishment of officers in various departments attached to an army, to a section of an army, or to the commander of an army. The general's staff consists of those officers about his person who are employed in carrying his commands into execution. See ['E]tat Major.
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Hence: A body of assistants serving to carry into effect the plans of a superintendent or manager; sometimes used for the entire group of employees of an enterprise, excluding the top management; as, the staff of a newspaper.
Jacob's staff (Surv.), a single straight rod or staff, pointed and iron-shod at the bottom, for penetrating the ground, and having a socket joint at the top, used, instead of a tripod, for supporting a compass.
Staff angle (Arch.), a square rod of wood standing flush with the wall on each of its sides, at the external angles of plastering, to prevent their being damaged.
The staff of life, bread. ``Bread is the staff of life.''
--Swift.Staff tree (Bot.), any plant of the genus Celastrus, mostly climbing shrubs of the northern hemisphere. The American species ( C. scandens) is commonly called bittersweet. See 2d Bittersweet, 3 (b) .
To set up one's staff, To put up one's staff, To set down one's staff or To put down one's staff, to take up one's residence; to lodge. [Obs.]
Staves \Staves\ (st[=a]vz or st[aum]vz; 277), n.;
pl. of Staff. ``Banners, scarves and staves.''
--R.
Browning. Also (st[=a]vz), pl. of Stave.
Wiktionary
n. 1 (plural of staff nodot=9 English) (long, straight stick). 2 (plural of stave English) vb. (en-third-person singular of: stave)
Usage examples of "staves".
A company of two-foots pressed back the jostling crowd, using long, straight staves tipped with glinting skystuff.
Green-plumed two-foots armed with skewers, not staves, escorted their green-clad leader and her companions along the rising path.
Lowering their staves, the purple-plumes strayed uncertainly to a stop.
The two-foot ruler eyed the young stallion suspiciously, but at a cautious nod from him, his purple-plumes fell back, staves still at the ready.
Though they bore no staves, slung from the middle of each dangled a flattened skewer.
The godking gestured with its skewer, and several of the purple-plumes cast aside their staves, rushing Tai-shan with forelimbs outstretched to catch his tethers.
In their fore-claws, some wielded staves carved of stone, or enormous blades, or long iron poles with reaping hooks.
Then he began to see more exiles, old women with staves hobbling along the road, young women with babes in arms.
The staves of mighty sorceresses were thrust between the skulls, sticking up like a crown.
Then they rushed over the brow of a hill, huge staves in hand, fur glowing red as it reflected the light of distant fires.
To the northwest, the frowth giants waded among the reavers, their huge iron-bound staves rising and crashing down.
Wall, and west toward Raj Ahten, even as their fell mage and her companions raised their staves and sent bolts of ice whirling into the elementals.
Their blades and staves reflected firelight from the elementals at their backs.
A knot of militia with two Port Authority men at their head was jogging down the quay toward them, staves glinting in the sun.
The vanguard of the heathen lads are going by, dusty but with energy undimmed, still keeping up their high-stepping dance, still giving the spirits of the air a bruising with their staves and spears.