A thin narrow piece of timber, of which casks are made. Staves make a considerable articles of export from New England to the West Indies.

A staff; a metrical portion; a part of a psalm appointed to be sung in churches.

In music, the five horizontal and parallel lines on which the notes of tunes are written or printed; the staff, as it is now more generally written. To stave and tail, to part dogs by interposing a staff and by pulling the tail.

pret. stove or staved; pp. id.

To break a hole in; to break; to burst; primarily, to thrust through with a staff; as, to stave a cask.

To push as with a staff; with off. The condition of a servant staves him off to a distance.

To delay; as, to stave off the execution of a project.

To pour out; to suffer to be lost by breaking the cask. All the wine in the city has been staved.

To furnish with staves or rundles.

To fight with staves.