staff

/stæf/

/stɑf/

Other forms: staffs; staffed; staffing

Staff means everyone who works at a particular place. You might suspect that the town library's not a very fun place to work if its staff is always incredibly cranky every time you visit.

Staff refers to all of the employees at a business, or especially a school, where the teachers as a group are called "the staff." A completely different meaning of staff is a long wooden stick or rod, particularly one that has a specific purpose — like a walking stick or a weapon. This is the original meaning of staff, from the Old English stæf. It wasn't until the nineteenth century that the word staff was used to mean "group of employees."

Definitions of staff

1. noun

   a strong rod or stick with a specialized utilitarian purpose
   “he walked with the help of a wooden staff”

   types:

   alpenstock

   a stout staff with a metal point; used by mountain climbers

   baton

   a short staff carried by some officials to symbolize an office or an authority

   crook, shepherd's crook

   a long staff with one end being hook shaped

   crutch

   a wooden or metal staff that fits under the armpit and reaches to the ground; used by disabled person while walking

   distaff

   the staff on which wool or flax is wound before spinning

   flagpole, flagstaff

   a tall staff or pole on which a flag is raised

   pikestaff

   the staff of a pike

   quarterstaff

   a long stout staff used as a weapon

   type of:

   stick

   an implement consisting of a length of wood
2. noun

   a rod carried as a symbol
   types:

   crosier, crozier

   a staff surmounted by a crook or cross carried by bishops as a symbol of pastoral office

   mace

   a ceremonial staff carried as a symbol of office or authority

   scepter, sceptre, verge, wand

   a ceremonial or emblematic staff

   tipstaff

   staff with a metal tip carried as a sign of office by e.g. a bailiff or constable

   bauble

   a mock scepter carried by a court jester

   type of:

   symbol

   an arbitrary sign (written or printed) that has acquired a conventional significance
3. noun

   (music) the system of five horizontal lines on which the musical notes are written
   synonyms: stave

   type of:

   musical notation

   (music) notation used by musicians
4. noun

   personnel who assist their superior in carrying out an assigned task
   “the hospital has an excellent nursing staff”

   “the general relied on his staff to make routine decisions”

   types:

   newsroom

   the staff of a newspaper or the news department of a periodical

   office, office staff

   professional or clerical workers in an office

   research staff

   a group of associated research workers in a university or library or laboratory

   sales staff

   those in a business who are responsible for sales

   security staff

   those in an organization responsible for preventing spying or theft

   maintenance staff, service staff

   those in a business responsible for maintaining the physical plant

   general staff

   military officers assigned to assist a senior officer in planning military policy

   headquarters staff

   military staff stationed at headquarters

   type of:

   force, personnel

   group of people willing to obey orders
5. noun

   the body of teachers and administrators at a school
   “the dean addressed the letter to the entire staff of the university”

   synonyms: faculty

   type of:

   body

   a group of persons associated by some common tie or occupation and regarded as an entity
6. verb

   serve on the staff of
   “The two men staff the reception desk”

   type of:

   serve

   do duty or hold offices; serve in a specific function
7. verb

   provide with staff
   “This position is not always staffed”

   types:

   man

   provide with workers

   crew

   serve as a crew member on

   type of:

   cater, ply, provide, supply

   give what is desired or needed, especially support, food or sustenance
8. noun

   building material consisting of plaster and hair; used to cover external surfaces of temporary structure (as at an exposition) or for decoration
   type of:

   building material

   material used for constructing buildings