stave
stave
UK[steɪv]US[steɪv]
n
one of the thin, narrow pieces of wood or metal that are placed edge to edge to form the sides of a barrel or bucket
n
a strong stick or pole, especially one used as a weapon or for walking
n
a set of five parallel lines on which musical notes are written
v
to break or crush something, especially the sides of a barrel or boat
v
(with 'off') to keep someone or something away or to prevent something bad from happening for a period of time
Etymology
the word 'stave' has a fascinating journey through linguistic back-formation. its origin lies in the old english word 'stæf', meaning a stick, rod, or letter of the alphabet, which gave us the modern word 'staff'. the plural of 'staff' evolved into 'staves' (pronounced /steɪvz/). by the 15th century, english speakers reinterpreted this plural form 'staves' as a separate singular noun, leading to the creation of the back-formed singular 'stave'. this new singular specifically came to denote one of the narrow wooden strips forming a barrel, a strong pole, or the set of lines in musical notation. the verb meanings, including the phrasal verb 'stave off', derive from the noun, with 'stave off' originally meaning to keep at bay with a staff or pole, metaphorically extending to preventing any unwanted event.
Analysis
this word is a simplex form. it is a back-formation from the plural 'staves', which itself evolved from the singular 'staff'.
Examples
the cooper carefully shaped each wooden stave for the new wine barrel.
in his anger, he used a heavy stave to defend himself.
we must take action now to stave off a financial crisis.