stave

/steɪv/

/steɪv/

Other forms: staves; staved; staving

A stave is the crosspiece between the legs of a chair or a wooden slat forming the side of a barrel. In music, it's the five lines you write notes on.

Stave comes from the word staff, as in a walking stick. You're most likely to encounter the word stave if you're learning woodworking. If someone "staves in" a door, they've broken a hole in it. You also might hear the idiom "stave off," which means to hold off for a short time.

Definitions of stave

1. noun

   one of several thin slats of wood forming the sides of a barrel or bucket
   synonyms: lag

   type of:

   slat, spline

   a thin strip (wood or metal)
2. noun

   a crosspiece between the legs of a chair
   synonyms: round, rung

   type of:

   crosspiece

   a transverse brace
3. noun

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

   type of:

   musical notation

   (music) notation used by musicians
4. verb

   burst or force (a hole) into something
   synonyms: stave in

   type of:

   break open, burst, split

   come open suddenly and violently, as if from internal pressure
5. verb

   furnish with staves
   “stave a ladder”

   type of:

   equip, fit, fit out, outfit

   provide with (something) usually for a specific purpose