stave

• POS: Noun, Verb (usu participle)

CIDE DICTIONARY

stave, n. [From Staff, and corresponding to the pl. staves. See Staff.].

•  One of a number of narrow strips of wood, or narrow iron plates, placed edge to edge to form the sides, covering, or lining of a vessel or structure; esp., one of the strips which form the sides of a cask, a pail, etc.  [1913 Webster]
•  One of the cylindrical bars of a lantern wheel; one of the bars or rounds of a rack, a ladder, etc.  [1913 Webster]
•  A metrical portion; a stanza; a staff.  [1913 Webster]

  "Let us chant a passing stave
  In honor of that hero brave."  [1913 Webster]
•  The five horizontal and parallel lines on and between which musical notes are written or printed; the staff{7}.  [1913 Webster]

Stave jointer, a machine for dressing the edges of staves.

stave, v. t. [From Stave, n., or Staff, n.].

•  To break in a stave or the staves of; to break a hole in; to burst; -- often with in; as, to stave a cask; to stave in a boat.  [1913 Webster]
•  To push, as with a staff; -- with off.  [1913 Webster]

  "The condition of a servant staves him off to a distance."  [1913 Webster]
•  To delay by force or craft; to drive away; -- usually with off; as, to stave off the execution of a project.  [1913 Webster]

  "And answered with such craft as women use,
  Guilty or guiltless, to stave off a chance
  That breaks upon them perilously."  [1913 Webster]
•  To suffer, or cause, to be lost by breaking the cask.  [1913 Webster]

  "All the wine in the city has been staved."  [1913 Webster]
•  To furnish with staves or rundles.  Knolles.  [1913 Webster]
•  To render impervious or solid by driving with a calking iron; as, to stave lead, or the joints of pipes into which lead has been run.  [1913 Webster]

To stave and tail, in bear baiting, (to stave) to interpose with the staff, doubtless to stop the bear; (to tail) to hold back the dog by the tail. Nares.

stave, v. i. 

 To burst in pieces by striking against something; to dash into fragments.  [1913 Webster]
"Like a vessel of glass she stove and sank."  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

stave, n. & v.
--n.
1 each of the curved pieces of wood forming the sides of a cask, pail, etc.
2 = STAFF(1) n. 3.
3 a stanza or verse.
4 the rung of a ladder.
--v.tr. (past and past part. stove or staved)
1 break a hole in.
2 crush or knock out of shape.
3 fit or furnish (a cask etc.) with staves.

Idiom

stave in crush by forcing inwards. stave off avert or defer (danger or misfortune). stave rhyme alliteration, esp. in old Germanic poetry.

Etymology

ME, back-form. f. staves, pl. of STAFF(1)

THESAURUS

stave

Malacca cane, Spenserian stanza, advocate, alpenstock, antistrophe, arm, athletic supporter, back, backbone, backing, bandeau, bar, bar line, barrel, baton, beam, bearer, billet, board, boarding, book, bra, brace, bracer, bracket, brassiere, bucket, bullet, burden, buttress, cane, canto, carrier, cervix, chorus, clapboard, cord, cordwood, corset, couplet, crook, crosier, cross, cross-staff, crutch, crutch-stick, deal, degree, distich, doorstep, driftwood, envoi, epode, firewood, footrest, footstep, foundation garment, fulcrum, girdle, guy, guywire, handstaff, hardwood, haste, hasten, heptastich, hexastich, highball, hotfoot, hustle, jock, jockstrap, lath, lathing, lathwork, ledger line, line, lituus, log, lumber, mainstay, maintainer, mast, measure, monostich, neck, octastich, octave, octet, ottava rima, panelboard, paneling, panelwork, pastoral staff, paterissa, pentastich, plank, planking, plyboard, plywood, pole, post, prop, puncheon, quarterstaff, quatrain, refrain, reinforce, reinforcement, reinforcer, rest, resting place, rhyme royal, rigging, riser, round, rundle, rung, scale, septet, sestet, sextet, shake, sheathing, sheathing board, sheeting, shillelagh, shingle, shoulder, shroud, sideboard, siding, slab, slat, softwood, space, spine, splat, spoke, sprit, staff, stair, standing rigging, stanza, stay, step, step stool, stepping-stone, stick, stick of wood, stiffener, stovewood, strain, strengthener, string, strophe, support, supporter, sustainer, swagger stick, swanking stick, syllable, tercet, terza rima, tetrastich, three-by-four, timber, timbering, timberwork, tread, triplet, tristich, two-by-four, upholder, verse, walking stick, weatherboard, wood

ROGET THESAURUS

stave

Contention

VB contend, contest, strive, struggle, scramble, wrestle, spar, square, exchange blows, exchange fisticuffs, fib, justle, tussle, tilt, box, stave, fence, skirmish, pickeer, fight, wrangle, contend with, grapple with, engage with, close with, buckle with, bandy with, try conclusions with, have a brush, with, tilt with, encounter, fall foul of, pitch into, clapperclaw, run a tilt at, oppose, reluct, join issue, come to blows, go to loggerheads, set to, come to the scratch, exchange shots, measure swords, meet hand to hand, take up the cudgels, take up the glove, take up the gauntlet, enter the lists, couch one's lance, give satisfaction, appeal to arms, lay about one, break the peace, compete with, cope with, vie with, race with, outvie, emulate, rival, run a race, contend for, stipulate for, stickle for, insist upon, make a point of.

Concord

N concord, accord, harmony, symphony, homologue, agreement, sympathy, empathy, response, union, unison, unity, bonds of harmony, peace, unanimity, league, happy family, rapprochement, reunion, amity, alliance, entente cordiale, good understanding, conciliation, peacemaker, intercessor, mediator, concordant, congenial, agreeing, in accord, harmonious, united, cemented, banded together, allied, friendly, fraternal, conciliatory, at one with, of one mind, at peace, in still water, tranquil, with one voice, in concert with, hand in hand, on one's side, commune periculum concordiam parit, melody concord, melody, rhythm, measure, rhyme, pitch, timbre, intonation, tone, scale, gamut, diapason, diatonic chromatic scale, enharmonic scale, key, clef, chords, modulation, temperament, syncope, syncopation, preparation, suspension, resolution, staff, stave, line, space, brace, bar, rest, appoggiato, appoggiatura, acciaccatura, note, musical note, notes of a scale, sharp, flat, natural, high note, low note, interval, semitone, second, third, fourth, diatessaron, breve, semibreve, minim, crotchet, quaver, semiquaver, demisemiquaver, hemidemisemiquaver, sustained note, drone, burden, tonic, key note, leading note, fundamental note, supertonic, mediant, dominant, submediant, subdominant, octave, tetrachord, major key, minor key, major scale, minor scale, major mode, minor mode, passage, phrase, concord, harmony, emmeleia, unison, unisonance, chime, homophony, euphony, euphonism, tonality, consonance, consent, part, harmony, harmonics, thorough-bass, fundamental-bass, counterpoint, faburden, piece of music, composer, harmonist, contrapuntist (musician), harmonious, harmonical, in concord, in tune, in concert, unisonant, concentual, symphonizing, isotonic, homophonous, assonant, ariose, consonant, measured, rhythmical, diatonic, chromatic, enharmonic, melodious, musical, melic, tuneful, tunable, sweet, dulcet, canorous, mellow, mellifluous, soft, clear, clear as a bell, silvery, euphonious, euphonic, euphonical, symphonious, enchanting fine-toned, full-toned, silver-toned, harmoniously, in harmony, as one, the hidden soul of harmony.

Music

N music, concert, strain, tune, air, melody, aria, arietta, piece of music, work, number, opus, sonata, rondo, rondeau, pastorale, cavatina, roulade, fantasia, concerto, overture, symphony, variations, cadenza, cadence, fugue, canon, quodlibet, serenade, notturno, dithyramb, opera, operetta, oratorio, composition, movement, stave, passamezzo, toccata, Vorspiel, instrumental music, full score, minstrelsy, tweedledum and tweedledee, band, orchestra, concerted piece, potpourri, capriccio, vocal music, vocalism, chaunt, chant, psalm, psalmody, hymn, song, canticle, canzonet, cantata, bravura, lay, ballad, ditty, carol, pastoral, recitative, recitativo, solfeggio, Lydian measures, slow music, slow movement, adagio, minuet, siren strains, soft music, lullaby, dump, dirge, pibroch, martial music, march, dance music, waltz, solo, duet, duo, trio, quartet, quartett, septett, part song, descant, glee, madrigal, catch, round, chorus, chorale, antiphon, antiphony, accompaniment, second, bass, score, bourdon, drone, morceau, terzetto, composer, musician, musical, instrumental, vocal, choral, lyric, operatic, harmonious, Wagnerian, adagio, largo, larghetto, andante, andantino, alla capella, maestoso, moderato, allegro, allegretto, spiritoso, vivace, veloce, presto, prestissimo, con brio, capriccioso, scherzo, scherzando, legato, staccato, crescendo, diminuendo, rallentando, affettuoso, obbligato, pizzicato, desto, in notes by distance made more sweet, like the faint exquisite music of a dream, music arose with its voluptuous swell, music is the universal language of mankind, music's golden tongue, the speech of angels, will sing the savageness out of a bear, music hath charms to soothe the savage beast.