stave

Picture someone making a barrel: the long, curved wooden pieces that form its sides are called staves. That is the basic, physical meaning of the word. In older writing, a stave can also mean a verse or stanza, which is why the chapters of Dickens's A Christmas Carol are called "Staves." In British English music terms, a stave is also the same as a musical staff, the set of lines where notes are written. Today, many learners will meet the word most often in the phrase "stave off," which means to hold back, delay, or prevent something unpleasant, such as hunger, illness, or danger.

The word "stave" moves through several different worlds, from barrel-making to poetry to music. Its most literal meaning is a long, narrow strip of wood that forms part of a barrel, cask, or tub. These pieces are shaped to fit tightly together and are held in place by hoops. In some older or specialized uses, a stave can also mean a slender stick, rod, or pole.

In older literary use, a stave can mean a verse or stanza, especially in a song or poem. This helps explain why Charles Dickens called the sections of A Christmas Carol "Staves," giving the story the feel of a song being sung. In music, especially in British English, a stave is the same thing as a staff: the set of horizontal lines on which notes are written.

As a verb, "stave" appears most often in the phrase "stave off." This means to ward off, hold back, or delay something bad or unwanted. You might stave off hunger with a snack, stave off sleep for another hour, or stave off an illness for a while. The idea is one of pushing something away so it does not reach you yet.

There is also the phrase "stave in," which means to break something inward or smash a hole in it, such as staving in a door or the side of a boat. So although the word began with a simple wooden strip, it now reaches into craft, literature, music, and a few common verb phrases.