staffn.¹

Brit.

/stɑːf/,

/staf/, U.S.

/stæf/

Inflections: Plural staffs Brit.

/stɑːfs/,

/stafs/, U.S.

/stæfs/, (in branches I. and II.) staves Brit.

/steɪvz/, U.S.

/steɪvz/.

Forms: Singular.

α. early Old English stab- (in compounds), early Old English staeb, early Old English stæb, Old English staf- (inflected form), Old English steb (chiefly early), Old English–early Middle English (chiefly south-west midlands) stæf, Old English (rare)–early Middle English (south-west midlands) steaf, Old English (rare)–early Middle English (chiefly south-west midlands) stef, Middle English staaf, Middle English–1600s staf, Middle English–1600s (1800s English regional) stafe, Middle English–1700s (1800s archaic) staffe, Middle English– staff, late Middle English sta- (in compounds), late Middle English stafte (transmission error), 1500s stayffe; Scottish pre-1700 staf, pre-1700 staffe, pre-1700 staif, pre-1700 staiff, pre-1700 staiffe, pre-1700 stalf, pre-1700 stalfe, pre-1700 stalff, pre-1700 stauf, pre-1700 stauff, pre-1700 stauft, pre-1700 staulff, pre-1700 1700s stafe, pre-1700 1700s– staff, 1800s stawf; N.E.D. (1915) also records a form Scottish pre-1700 stafte.

β. early Middle English stæue (south-west midlands, inflected form), early Middle English steaue (south-west midlands, inflected form), Middle English stavfe (inflected form), Middle English–1600s stau- (inflected form), Middle English–1600s stav- (inflected form); Scottish pre-1700 stave's (genitive), 1800s stauv.

Plural.

α. Old English stafas, early Middle English stafen (probably dative), early Middle English stafess ( Ormulum), early Middle English stauen (south-west midlands), Middle English stafes, Middle English staffys, Middle English staffz, Middle English stafis, Middle English 1600s stafs, Middle English–1600s staffes, 1600s– staffs; Scottish pre-1700 staeffis, pre-1700 stafes, pre-1700 staffas, pre-1700 staffeis, pre-1700 staffes, pre-1700 staffis, pre-1700 stafis, pre-1700 stafys, pre-1700 staifes, pre-1700 staiffis, pre-1700 stalfes, pre-1700 stalffes, pre-1700 stalffis, pre-1700 stalffs, pre-1700 stalfis, pre-1700 staufis, pre-1700 staulffis, pre-1700 1700s– staffs.

β. late Old English stauas, Middle English staue, Middle English stauenes (perhaps transmission error), Middle English stavis, Middle English steues (south-eastern), Middle English–1500s stauis, Middle English–1500s stauys, Middle English–1500s stavys, Middle English–1600s staues, Middle English– staves, late Middle English stoves, 1500s stavez; Scottish pre-1700 stalves, pre-1700 stalvis, pre-1700 staues, pre-1700 stauys, pre-1700 stavis, pre-1700 stawes, pre-1700 stawis, pre-1700 stowis, pre-1700 1700s– staves, 1900s– staaves.

Origin: A word inherited from Germanic.

Etymology: Cognate with Old Frisian stef (West Frisian stēf (plural stēven )), Old Dutch staf (in compounds; Middle Dutch staf (plural stāve , stēve ), Dutch staf (plural staven )), Old Saxon staf (Middle Low German staf (plural stēve )), Old High German stab , stap (Middle High German stab , stap (plural stābe , stēbe ), German Stab ), early Scandinavian (runic) staba (accusative plural), Old Icelandic stafr (plural stafir , in early sources also stafar ), Old Swedish staver (Swedish stav , †staaf , †staf ), Old Danish staf , staff (Danish stav (plural stave )), and (with different stem class) Gothic stabim (dative plural), found in a range of senses, broadly ‘rod, stick, beating stick, stick for driving or herding animals, club, polearm, pole, post, strut, prop, implement or component consisting of or resembling a rod or stick’ (in some languages in later use also ‘rod-shaped bacteria’: compare rod n.¹ 12), ‘gnomon of a sundial, plank, shaped length of wood used to make a barrel, magic wand, walking stick, pilgrim's staff, shepherd's staff, bishop's staff, royal sceptre, judge's staff, staff as symbol of civil or military office or authority’, (by extension) ‘civil or military office or authority’, (in later use: compare note below) ‘group of people in the position of authority, officers in command of a military unit or army, group of employees, employees collectively’, (chiefly early: compare note below) ‘written character, letter’, in early Scandinavian and Old Icelandic also ‘rune’, in Old Icelandic also ‘alliterating sound’ (see discussion at stave n.²), (in plural) ‘lore’, in Old Icelandic and Old Swedish also ‘boundary marker’, in Old Frisian also ‘oath’, in Middle High German also ‘scabbard, pipe’, in German also ‘penis’, in Dutch also ‘stalk’, further origin uncertain; perhaps < the same Indo-European base as Old Prussian stabis stone, Lithuanian stabas idol, palsy, tetanus, Latvian stabs post, pillar, (with a suffix) Old Russian stoborie row of poles (see further below). Compare stave n.², stave v.Further etymology. It has been suggested that the Germanic word is also cognate with ancient Greek σταφυλή bunch of grapes (see staphyle n.), Early Irish sab shaft, pole, and (with nasal infix) Sanskrit stambha- post, pillar, trunk, ancient Greek στέμφυλον mass of squeezed olives or grapes, but the connections between all of those words are uncertain, and alternative etymologies have been offered for each of them. Form history and the relationship with stave n.² In Old English, the word usually inflects as a strong masculine (regular plural forms: nominative and accusative stafas , genitive stafa , dative stafum ); a weak genitive plural stafena is occasionally attested. The stem-final inherited voiced fricative was devoiced word-finally in Old English, but voicing was preserved before the vowel of the inflectional endings (although the consonant is spelt f in both positions; in early use also b ). In Middle English the variation between f in uninflected and v in inflected forms (although occasionally subject to analogical levelling in either direction) is reflected in spelling (compare similarly life n., wife n., etc.). The disyllabic inflected forms (singular and plural) also frequently showed lengthening of the stem vowel in the open syllable, reflected in the present-day plural staves /steɪvz/. Starting in the beginning of the 17th cent. (with occasional examples attested already in the late 16th), a new singular stave was formed analogically from the plural staves (see stave n.²), while the plural staffs (attested already in Middle English, and then from the mid 15th cent. as staffes ) was re-formed analogically from the singular staff . Over time, staffs came to be perceived as the usual plural form in most senses of staff n.¹; however, the plural staves is still occasionally retained in literary use. Thus, since the end of the 16th cent. the plural form staves was shared by stave n.² and (in some uses) staff n.¹ stave n.² is included as a headword in the second (1679) edition of E. Coles Dict. Eng.-Lat., and then in Bailey (1721), in both cases in the sense corresponding to stave n.² 4a. It does not appear in Johnson, and gains more widespread lexicographical acceptance starting with the first edition of Webster (1828). Instances of the plural staves have been covered at the entry staff n.¹ if they are earlier than the earliest attestation of the singular stave in the relevant sense of stave n.², and also in the case of senses which are either not paralleled at stave n.² or for which the singular stave is attested considerably less frequently than staff . Both staff n.¹ and stave n.² are found in present-day use in the senses covered in branch I. The senses covered in branch II. are now largely restricted to stave n.², while the senses in branch III. are not paralleled at that entry. Sense history. (i) Early compounds. Already in Old English frequent in compounds, with some senses first attested as second element in compounds (compare e.g. senses 5b, 5c). Occasionally such compounds denote tools whose shape and function is not clear (e.g. crancstæf , in a list of weaving instruments: compare crank n.¹; hegstæf , in the context of enclosures, perhaps compare hay n.²) and which, if fully understood, might perhaps antedate later senses of the word (compare sense 7 and also sense 8). In a few other compounds the second element appears to be used in a less concrete and somewhat vague sense, perhaps reflecting earlier use in the sense ‘fate’ or ‘judgement’ (compare e.g. endestæf end, conclusion, death). (ii) Senses of branch II. Sense 18a ‘written character, letter’ (compare also stave n.² 12a) is paralleled in Old Saxon, early Scandinavian, and Old Icelandic (compare also bookstaff n., rune-stave n., and the early Germanic forms cited at those entries). Although the Gothic cognate is never found as a translation of ancient Greek γράμμα letter of the alphabet, existence of an equivalent sense in Gothic is perhaps implied by the use of the Gothic word to render ancient Greek στοιχεῖον (‘element, fundamental principle, rudiment of knowledge, elementary sound of speech, first component of a syllable, letter of the alphabet’: see stoicheiotical adj.) in the senses ‘rudiment of learning, fundamental principle’ (compare also classical Latin elementum ‘basic principle, elementary stage of education, letter of the alphabet, sound represented by the letter’, often used as an equivalent of Greek στοιχεῖον : see element n.). The sense ‘written character’ is usually assumed to be in origin an extended use of a sense ‘a stick on which a rune is carved’ (compare discussion at bookstaff n.), although such a sense is apparently not attested in any of the early Germanic languages. Compare rune-staff n. and roun-staff n. at roun n. Compounds, and see also stave n.² 13 and the discussion at that entry. Earlier currency in sense 19 is perhaps implied by similar use of baston n. 1, since this meaning is not paralleled by the insular or continental French etymons of that word (compare discussion at that entry). The sense ‘line of verse’ perhaps shows extended use of sense 18a ‘written character’ (that is, ‘letters set in a particular order, arranged in a line’; compare the semantic development shown by letter n.¹ II.). Alternatively, the sense may be due to the influence of early Scandinavian: compare Old Icelandic stef refrain (apparently a derivative (with suffix causing i-mutation) < the same Scandinavian base as staff n.¹). Sense 20 probably shows an extended use (not paralleled in other European languages) of either sense 19b or 19c. (iii) Senses of branch III. In sense 21a after German Stab (see above; first half of the 17th cent. in this sense, showing a semantic development from ‘staff as a symbol of office or authority’ to ‘office or authority’ (compare sense 5c) to ‘people in a position of authority’ (originally with reference to a group of military officers, and later, as in English, to a group of employees: compare sense 22)), and in early use perhaps partly also after Swedish †stav (1619 in this sense). Compare Dutch staf (17th cent. in this sense), Danish †stav (18th cent. in this sense), both after German, and also Swedish stab (1636), Danish stab (early 18th cent. or earlier), both < German Stab in this sense. Compare also General Staff n. at general adj. and n. Compounds 2. (iv) Additional notes on specific senses. With sense 5c compare later rod n.¹ 4a, baston n. 2a, baton n. 2a, batoon n. 2. With sense 9 compare baston n. 4, batoon n. 3, baton n. 3. With sense 13 compare slightly earlier pole n.¹ 1f, and later rod n.¹ 10, stick n.¹ 14. With sense 17b compare Dutch staf (1786 or earlier in this sense; also 1783 in stafwerk).

I. A rod or stick (esp. one cut or shaped to be used for a particular purpose), and related senses.

1. A sturdy rod or stick, typically made of wood, used as an aid or support when walking, standing, etc.; a walking stick; esp. a stout stick, longer than a typical walking stick, having no handle but grasped by the user part-way along its length.Particularly associated with religious pilgrims.In quot. 1483 applied to a crutch.

ΘΚΠ

the world > space > relative position > support > [noun] > that which supports > something to lean on > staff to lean on > walking stick

staffc725

yardc1000

bat?c1225

rodc1300

handstaffa1425

walking staffc1450

sceptre1526

walking stick1580

stick1620

nibbie1812

baton1860

waddy1974

the world > health and disease > healing > medical appliances or equipment > surgical supports > [noun] > crutch

crutchc900

crosec1330

stiltc1330

potent1348

croche14..

staff1483

potencea1500

crutchet1611

plyer1699

eOE King Ælfred tr. Gregory Pastoral Care (Hatton) (1871) xvii. 125 Mid gierde mon bið beswungen, & mid stæfe he bið awreðed [L. baculo sustentamur].

OE Ælfric Lives of Saints (Julius) (1881) I. 466 He sæt ða swa lange on þam laðum bendum, oðþæt he bestæl ut mid his stafe hoppende.

c1275 (?a1200) Laȝamon Brut (Calig.) (1978) l. 15351 Þene staf he nom an honde and ferde ouer þan londe.

1483 W. Caxton tr. J. de Voragine Golden Legende f. ccccxxxij/2 He coude not goo ne stande wythoute he had two crutches or staues vnder hys armes.

c1515 Ld. Berners tr. Bk. Duke Huon of Burdeux (1882–7) cxlvi. 545 Huon..aparelyd hymselfe lyke a pylgryme, with a stafe, and a bage abought his necke.

1590 E. Spenser Faerie Queene i. viii. sig. H2 An old old man..That on a staffe his feeble steps did frame.

1666 S. Pepys Diary 20 July (1972) VII. 211 He did present me with a varnished staff, very fine, and light to walk with.

1860 J. Tyndall Glaciers of Alps i. xiv. 95 I..dug my staff deeply into the snow.

1938 Essex Chron. 18 Feb. 7/5 In spite of bodily infirmity she used to walk a great deal, assisted by a wooden staff.

2004 Daily Tel. (Nexis) 10 Apr. (Travel section) 3 There were several outward observances, too, by which he might be known as a pilgrim: an untrimmed beard..a scrip or bag with a pottle or bottle, and, of course, a staff.

†a. A strong or robust post, rod, bar, or stake, esp. one which serves as a support or is used as a carrying pole for transporting a burden. Cf. cowl-staff n. Obsolete.Quot. 1869 may show this use of staff as the first element of a regional term designating a hedge constructed using stakes, but does not necessarily indicate the survival of the sense outside this compound.

ΘΚΠ

the world > space > relative position > support > [noun] > that which supports

staffc1000

hold1042

source1359

legc1380

shorer1393

stabilimenta1398

upholder1398

sustentationa1400

undersetterc1400

bearinga1425

undersettinga1425

suppowellc1430

triclinec1440

sustentaclec1451

supportera1475

sustainerc1475

sustenal1483

stayc1515

buttress1535

underpinning1538

firmament1554

countenance1565

support1570

appuia1573

comfort1577

hypostasis1577

underpropping1586

porter1591

supportation1593

supportance1597

understaya1603

bearer1607

rest1609

upsetter1628

mountinga1630

sustent1664

underlay1683

holdfast1706

abutment1727

suppeditor1728

mount1739

monture1746

bed1793

appoggiatura1833

bracing1849

bench1850

under-pinner1859

bolster-piece1860

sustainer1873

table mount1923

society > occupation and work > equipment > tool > types of tools generally > [noun] > in form of bar, pole, rod, etc.

stingc725

stakec893

sowelc900

tree971

rungOE

shaftc1000

staffc1000

stockc1000

poleOE

spritOE

luga1250

lever1297

stanga1300

perchc1300

raftc1330

sheltbeam1336

stower1371

palea1382

spar1388

spire1392

perk1396

ragged staff1397

peela1400

slot1399

plantc1400

heck-stower1401

sparkin1408

cammockc1425

sallow stakec1440

spoke1467

perk treec1480

yard1480

bode1483

spit1485

bolm1513

gada1535

ruttock1542

stob1550

blade1558

wattle1570

bamboo1598

loggat1600

barling1611

sparret1632

picket1687

tringle1706

sprund1736

lug-pole1773

polting lug1789

baton1801

stuckin1809

rack-pin1821

picket-pin1844

I-iron1874

pricker1875

stag1881

podger1888

window pole1888

verge1897

sallow pole1898

lat1899

swizzle-stick1962

OE Lambeth Psalter cvi. 16 Quia contriuit portas aereas et uectes ferreos confregit : forðon þe he tobrytte gatu ærennu & stafas uel sahlas isenne tobræc.

c1325 (c1300) Chron. Robert of Gloucester (Calig.) l. 2677 Ac some þat ofscapede..mid staues of hegges defended hom aboute.

a1382 Bible (Wycliffite, E.V.) (Bodl. 959) (1959) Exod. xxv. 13 Þou schalt make beryng staues of þe trees of sychim.

1530 J. Palsgrave Lesclarcissement 275/1 Staffe to beare two peyles on, as they do in Fraunce, une covrge.

1572 L. Mascall tr. D. Brossard L'Art et Maniere de Semer iii, in Bk. Plant & Graffe Trees 14 How to set small staues by to strengthen your cyons.

1643 R. Baker Chron. Kings of Eng. ii. 1 To beare the Kings Canopy, upon foure staves of silver, over the Kings head.

1688 R. Holme Acad. Armory iii. 320/1 A Bearing Staff by which empty Barrels are carried by Servants from place to place.

1708 Constitutions Company Watermen & Lightermen xxv No Waterman..shall stick up and lay his Boat at his Staff, so as to hinder..due and orderly passing..but shall..stick up their said Staves clear of the said Stairs or Landing-places.

1789 Northampton Mercury 21 Mar. A Stick nearly as long and as thick as a carrying Staff.

1869 J. C. Atkinson Peacock's Gloss. Dial. Hundred of Lonsdale Staff-hedge, a hedge made with stakes raddled with thorns, or hazel, generally both.]

b. A long rod or pole on which a cross, banner, etc., is carried aloft, esp. in a procession or parade.

ΘΚΠ

society > faith > artefacts > implement (general) > staff > [noun] > surmounted by cross > pole on which cross is borne

staff1431

1432 in H. Littlehales Medieval Rec. London City Church (1905) 27 ij stanes [read staues] for þe principall crosses.

1460–5 Churchwardens' Accts. St. Andrew's East Cheap in Brit. Mag. (1847) 31 396 (MED) Payd for the makyng of ijo passyon baners: For Tartaryn; For the frenge; For the stauys; For the ijo Crossys; For the smale Stauys.

a1529 J. Skelton Ware the Hauke (1843) 114 Cros, staffe, lectryne, and banner.

1733 C. Hunter Durham Cathedral 13 There were also two Crosses to be born, on principal Days for Procession; One all of Gold, and the Staff it stood in was of Silver.

1816 Caledonian Mercury 22 June The order of the procession was, the preses and treasurer..a crown carried on a staff [etc.].

1878 J. H. Pollen Anc. & Mod. Gold & Silver Work 54 At the bottom of the cross is a spike to fit into the socket of a processional staff.

2003 R. Taylor How to read Church 227 Archbishops often have their own ‘archiepiscopal’ cross, a crucifix mounted on a staff, which is carried before them in procession.

c. A post or pole from which a flag is flown, esp. one on the bow or stern of a ship. Cf. flagstaff n., jackstaff n.¹Attested earliest in flagstaff.

ΘΚΠ

society > communication > indication > insignia > standard > [noun] > poles and staffs

banner-pole1566

banner-staff1566

flagstaff1614

staff1614

flagstick1871

flag-pole1884

1602 Voy. East-India in S. Purchas Pilgrimes (1625) I. x. vii. 1882 We..came that night to the harbour that we were in at our entring, which we call Flag-staffe Harbour, because we found there the Flag-staffe throwne by the Sauages away.

1644 H. Mainwaring Sea-mans Dict. 40 When they would have the flag out, they say, heave out the Flagg, that is, to wrap it close about the staffe.

1702 Royal Proclam. 18 Dec. in London Gaz. No. 3871/1 All such Ships as have Commissions of Letters of Mart or Reprisals, shall, besides the Colours which may be worn by Merchants Ships, wear a Red Jack, with the Union Jack, described in a Canton of the upper Corner thereof next the Staff.

1836 W. Irving Astoria III. 228 They would willingly have nailed their colours to the staff, and defied the frigate.

1903 Daily Tel. 7 July 10/2 From the staff surmounting Apsley House the French flag was flung boldly to the breeze.

2005 B. Little Sea Rover's Pract. (2007) xi. 112 English merchant ships flew the red ancient from the staff at the stern.

3. figurative and in figurative contexts. Something that supports, strengthens, or sustains; esp. a person who or thing which can be relied upon to provide assistance or comfort. Cf. prop n.¹ 3.In quot. OE¹ in the poetic compound ēþel-stæf sustainer of the homeland (cf. ethel n.), referring to an heir.

ΘΚΠ

the world > action or operation > easiness > aid, help, or assistance > support > [noun] > that which or one who supports

crutchc900

upholda1066

uptakinga1300

arma1382

postc1387

staff1390

sustainerc1390

undersetterc1400

potent?a1439

buttressa1450

supportalc1450

comfort1455

supporta1456

studa1500

poge1525

underpropper1532

shore1534

staya1542

prop1562

stoopa1572

underprop1579

sustentation1585

rest1590

underpinning1590

supportance1597

sustinent1603

lean1610

reliance1613

hingea1616

columna1620

spar1630

gable end1788

lifeboat1832

standback1915

OE Genesis A (1931) 2225 Nu ic eom orwena þæt unc seo eðyl stæf [probably read se eðylstæf] æfre weorðe gifeðe ætgædere.

OE King Ælfred tr. Psalms (Paris) (2001) xxii. 5 Þin gyrd and þin stæf me afrefredon (þæt is, þin þreaung and eft þin frefrung).

a1382 Bible (Wycliffite, E.V.) (Bodl. 959) (1965) Tobit x. 4 Allas me my sone..þe liȝt of oure eȝen, staf of oure eelde, solace of oure lijf.

c1450 ( Assumption of Virgin (Egerton 876) in R. Hamer & V. Russell Gilte Legende (2007) II. 581 (MED) I haue shewed the a walle to alle the worlde, an arche of sauacion, a brigge to hem that be fletynge, a staffe to the feble.

1595 Blanchardine & Eglantine 213 And is she gon, the comfort of my youth, the staffe of my age.

a1616 W. Shakespeare Antony & Cleopatra (1623) iii. xiii. 68 It much would please him, That of his Fortunes you should make a staffe To leane vpon.

1642 T. Fuller Holy State v. xiv. 415 Having lost his own legs, he relyes on the staff of his kinred.

1720 D. Defoe Mem. Cavalier 272 They were the Staff of the Party.

1830 W. Scott Introd. Lay of Last Minstrel ⁋13 I determined that literature should be my staff, but not my crutch.

1876 T. Hardy Hand of Ethelberta I. xiii. 138 Long before he adopted music as the staff of his pilgrimage.

1957 E. Jones Life & Work Freud (1964) I. xiii. 262 What courage to cast aside the only staff he had to cling to, with only a dim hope of reaching the inner resources of self-confidence that could replace it!

2012 Times (S. Afr.) (Nexis) 20 Sept. (Opinion & Editorial section) Faith can serve as a staff to support you through troubled times.

4. A stick or pole used as a weapon or instrument of punishment.

a. A striking or beating weapon consisting of a stout stick, rod, or pole; esp. (a) a heavy stick used as a club; a cudgel; a truncheon; (b) a long, wooden pole used as a weapon in close combat; a quarterstaff (quarterstaff n.).Also as the second element in compounds; cf. balk-staff n., quarterstaff n.The constable's staff (see e.g. quot. 1583) was formerly regarded not only a weapon but as a badge of office (see sense 5c); cf. tipstaff n. 1.

ΘΚΠ

society > armed hostility > military equipment > weapon > club or stick > [noun] > pole or staff

roodOE

staffc1000

reppleOE

slot-staff1561

long-staff1595

bone-baster1600

handstaff1611

ballowa1616

watch pole1712

coup-stick1876

OE Ælfric Gram. (St. John's Oxf.) 55 Fustis, sagol oððe stæf.

OE Ælfric Homily: De Falsis Diis (Corpus Cambr. 178) in J. C. Pope Homilies of Ælfric (1968) II. 700 Gif þu me leafe sylst, ic ofslea þisne dracan buton swurde and stafe [L. absque gladio et fuste].

c1275 (?a1200) Laȝamon Brut (Calig.) (1963) l. 4066 Euelin..mid þan stæue to-draf. and smat Herigal a þon ribben þat þe stæf to-bræc amidden.

c1300 St. Laurence (Laud) l. 114 in C. Horstmann Early S.-Eng. Legendary (1887) 343 He het heom with grete staues leggen on him to grounde.

1485 Malory's Morte Darthur (Caxton) i. ix. sig. avii Thenne the comyns of Carlyon aroos with clubbis and stauys and slewe many knyghtes.

1583 in W. H. Stevenson Rec. Borough Nottingham (1889) IV. 201 xxx. Cunstable stavez at xvd. a pece.

1671 J. Milton Samson Agonistes 1123 I only with an Oak'n staff will meet thee.

1778 G. L. Way Learning at Loss I. 103 In his Hand [was] a very inimical Oak staff of at least two Inches diameter.

1932 Derby Evening Tel. 2 Sept. 1/7 Noon threatened to ‘brain him’, and the constable was forced to draw his staff and knock him out.

2000 Black Belt May 116/1 (caption) A popular type of sparring involves pitting an empty-handed kung fu stylist against one armed with a staff.

b. figurative and in figurative contexts. Something considered as a means or instrument of defence, chastisement, punishment, etc. Cf. rod n.¹ 1b.See also to make a staff for one's own head at Phrases 4a.

ΘΠ

society > authority > punishment > [noun] > implement or means

roda1393

judiciala1641

?a1300 Sayings St. Bernard (Digby) in F. J. Furnivall Minor Poems Vernon MS (1901) ii. 762 Þou take þe rode to þi staf, And þenk on him þat þereoune ȝaf His lif..þou ȝelde hit him; Aȝein his fo, þat staf þou nim, And wrek him of þat þef!

?a1425 tr. Catherine of Siena Orcherd of Syon (Harl.) (1966) 149 (MED) I schal neuere tempte þe moore, for euere þou smytist me wiþ þe staf of charite.

1577 tr. ‘F. de L'Isle’ Legendarie sig. Gvij She looked to finde in him a new staffe wherewith to suppresse the Guisians.

1653 in J. Pomroy Faithful Discov. of Treacherous Design of Mystical Antichrist 7 Though they often quote the Scriptures, Yet..it is but partially, And..not as the ground of their Faith, But..chiefly as a staff to beat others with.

1780 St James's Chron. 17–19 Aug. We have furnished a Staff to beat ourselves.

1904 C. Whibley Literary Portraits 70 Guilpin..makes Rabelais a staff to beat his enemies.

2012 National Post (Canada) (National ed.) (Nexis) 1 Dec. a27 If ever there was a politico who gave his enemies a staff to beat him.

†c. A thrusting or cutting weapon consisting of a long (typically wooden) shaft with a point or blade at one end; a lance, pike, or other polearm. Cf. staff-sword n. Obsolete.Frequently as the second element in compounds designating weapons of this type, as in horseman's staff, hunter's staff, etc.; cf. boar-staff n.

ΘΚΠ

society > armed hostility > military equipment > weapon > sharp weapon > spear or lance > [noun]

spearc725

ordeOE

spriteOE

wal-speara1000

gareOE

shaftc1000

staffc1275

glaive1297

lancegayc1386

gad1422

burdounc1440

Jedburgh (Jedworth, Jedwood etc.) staff1515

puncheon pole1548

puncheon spear1548

puncheon staff1548

punching staff1562

prag1582

sarissa1736

staff weapon1788

windlestraw1831

?a1400 (a1338) R. Mannyng Chron. (Petyt) (1996) i. l. 14190 Oiþer þorgh bataile playn in felde, or with champion staf & schelde.

1488 (c1478) Hary Actis & Deidis Schir William Wallace (Adv.) (1968–9) ii. l. 97 A huntyn staff in-till his hand he bar. Thar-with he smat on Willȝham Wallace thair, Bot for his tre litill sonȝhe he maid.

a1547 Earl of Surrey tr. Virgil Fourth Bk. Aeneas (1554) iv. sig. Bii^v The huntyng staues wyth theyr broade heades of steele.

1562 P. Whitehorne Certain Waies Orderyng Souldiers f. 45, in tr. N. Machiavelli Arte of Warre Howe to make certayn fyreworke to tye at the poinctes of pykes or horsemenstaues.

1611 R. Cotgrave Dict. French & Eng. Tongues Espieu, a Boare-speare; a hunting staffe, or Iauelin.

1789 Wonderful Life & Surprising Adventures Robinson Crusoe 118 A gallant Indian slave, who with no other weapon but an armed staff, and a hatchet, killed five men.

5. A rod or stick held in the hand, used as an instrument or symbol of a person's occupation.

a. A rod or stick for driving or herding animals; esp. one with a hooked end used for tending sheep; a shepherd's crook. Frequently figurative and in figurative contexts, esp. with reference to God or Christ considered as a shepherd guiding and disciplining his flock; cf. shepherd n. 2b, flock n.¹ 4a.

ΘΚΠ

the world > food and drink > farming > animal husbandry > sheep-farming > [noun] > crook

sheep-crookc1420

crookc1430

staffc1475

hook?1523

sheep-hook?1523

OE tr. Defensor Liber Scintillarum (1969) xxxii. 232 Latratu canum baculoque pastoris luporum rabies deterrenda est : of gebeorce hunda & mid stafe hyrdes wulfa wodness to afligenne ys.

a1500 (?a1400) Tale King Edward & Shepherd (Cambr.) (1930) l. 857 (MED) Þe scheperde keppid his staf ful warme, And happid it euer vndir his harme.

1538 T. Elyot Dict. Agolum, a staffe to dryue cattell with.

1665 J. Sparrow tr. J. Böhme Forty Questions of Soul xxxix. 407 And they shall be led to Pasture with a staff, and the Shepherd will rejoyce with his Sheep; that God is so Gracious.

1744 Heidelbergh Catech. 69/2 The same Word of God is also the Staff wherewith the Flock is led and ruled.

1848 Times 18 Dec. 5/5 It would be treating us not like men, but like a vile flock, driven with a staff.

1922 Adventure 28 Feb. 94/2 I picked up the cowherd's staff, and the two of us soon had the drove moving up the road.

2004 Portland (Maine) Press Herald (Nexis) 6 June (Outdoors section) 1 k Standing above his pastures with a staff, Simmons directs Tess [sc. a sheep-dog] with mostly one- and two-syllable commands.

b. A ceremonial rod, typically surmounted by a crook (or sometimes a cross), carried by a bishop, abbot, or other prelate as a symbol of pastoral office; a crozier.Attested earliest in bishop staff.

ΘΚΠ

society > faith > artefacts > implement (general) > staff > [noun] > bishop's

staffa1122

bat?c1225

bagle1330

crosec1330

potent1348

crookc1386

croche14..

cley-staffc1440

baculc1449

cross-staffa1464

pastoral staff?a1475

crosier's staff1488

crosier1500

crose-staff1549

pastoral1658

beagle-rod1664

tau staff1843

tau1855

tau crosier1900

OE List of Relics, Exeter in M. Förster Zur Geschichte des Reliquienkultus in Altengland (1943) 76 Of sanctus Basilius toðe & of his biscopstafe.

lOE Anglo-Saxon Chron. (Laud) anno 1047 Se papa hæfde sinoð on Uercel, & Ulf biscop com þærto, & forneah man sceolde tobrecan his stef.

c1275 (?a1200) Laȝamon Brut (Calig.) (1978) l. 11031 Þene ærchebiscopes staf þer he Piram aȝaf.

c1400 Comm. on Canticles (Bodl. 288) in T. Arnold Sel. Eng. Wks. J. Wyclif (1871) III. 28 Þe kyngis ȝerde and þe bischopis staf bitokenen her regalte and her dignyte, by þe whiche þei schulen..rulen hemsilf and her sogetis.

c1475 (?c1400) Apol. Lollard Doctr. (1842) 56 Prelats wiþ þer stafis and oþer ornaments.

1535 Bp. Hilsey in H. Ellis Orig. Lett. Eng. Hist. (1846) 3rd Ser. II. 352 Yff hytt may plese your Mastershypp to be soe good unto me as to geve my predecessours Myttre, Staff, and Seale.

1643 R. Baker Chron. Kings of Eng. i. 55 That the King should receive homage of Bishops elect; but should not Invest them by Staffe and Ring.

1851 E. B. Browning Casa Guidi Windows i. xxvi. 69 With his pastoral ring and staff.

1934 Tamworth Herald 17 Mar. 3/2 The Archdeacon of Aston..carrying the episcopal staff and acting as chaplain to the Bishop.

2009 Church Times 11 Dec. 15/1 At the office hymn, he and his chaplains went to stand in front of the Bishop at the altar, where, with appropriate prayers, he was robed in cope and mitre, given a replica episcopal ring and the Bishop's own staff.

c. A rod, baton, or wand carried by the holder of a particular post or position as an official symbol of authority or badge of office; (also) the office or post with which this is associated. Cf. white staff n.Attested earliest in Old English canterstæf cantor's staff.

ΘΚΠ

society > authority > office > symbol of office or authority > [noun] > staff or rod

yardc1275

tipped stickc1386

bastona1400

mace?a1419

wandc1430

warderc1440

baculc1449

roda1450

verge1493

staff1535

tipstaff1541

verger1547

truncheon1573

vare1578

baton?1590

trunch1590

fasces1598

macer wanda1600

virge1610

batoona1652

stick1677

shaku1875

poker1905

OE Rec. Gifts of Bp. Leofric to Exeter Cathedral (Bodl.) in A. J. Robertson Anglo-Saxon Charters (1956) 226 iii cantercæppa & iii canterstafas & v pællene weofodsceatas.

?c1410 T. Hoccleve Balade to Lord Chancellor l. 7 in Minor Poems (1970) 58 My lord the Chanceller..your staf your warant wole expresse.

a1500 (a1477) Black Bk. (Soc. of Antiquaries) in A. R. Myers Househ. Edward IV (1959) 142 Steward of housolde receyuith his charge of the kinges highnes and propyr person, and the staff of houshold... He representith the kinges astate; his staff is taken as for comission.

a1618 W. Raleigh Prerogatiue Parl. (1628) 32 In his fifth yeare was the Treasurer againe changed, and the Staffe giuen to Segraue, and the Lord Chancellour was also changed, and the staffe giuen to the Lord Scroope.

1716 T. Hearne Remarks & Coll. (1901) V. 283 By this Resignation of the..place..of Beadle..I kept Possession of the Library, laying down the Staff before I went out.

1813 King George IV in Duke of Wellington Dispatches (1838) X. 552 You have sent me..the Staff of a French Marshal, and I send you in return that of England.

1863 H. Cox Inst. Eng. Govt. iii. vii. 694 Lord Godolphin, the Earl of Oxford, and the Duke of Shrewsbury successively received the Treasurer's staff.

1952 Times 11 Nov. 2/5 The Worshipful Company of Wheelwrights..came by in a smoothly running car with the beadle in a front seat and his staff of office carefully placed so that it leant out of the window.

2006 Brit. Art Jrnl. 7 49/1 He [sc. the 4th Earl of Pembroke] holds the staff and displays the ceremonial key of office of Lord Chamberlain of the Royal Household.

d. A stick or rod used for occult or magical purposes, esp. to cast spells.

ΘΚΠ

the world > the supernatural > the occult > sorcery, witchcraft, or magic > [noun] > magical object > wand

wanda1400

charming-rod1601

staffa1616

rune-staff1705

OE tr. Pseudo-Apuleius Herbarium (Vitell.) (1984) cxxxii. 170 Swa þu scealt onbutan hy delfan swa ðu hyre mid þam iserne na æthrine; ac þu geornlice scealt mid ylpenbanenon stæfe [L. de palo eburneo] ða eorðan delfan.

a1616 W. Shakespeare Tempest (1623) v. i. 54 But this rough Magicke I heere abiure..I'le breake my staffe, Bury it certaine fadomes in the earth.

1656 S. Holland tr. Don Zara ii. i. 67 Her Rod, Staff, and other implements of Sorcery stood by her on a Table of Abstersive Ebony.

1770 J. Langhorne & W. Langhorne tr. Camillus in Plutarch Lives (Rtldg.) 109/2 They discovered under a great heap of ashes the augural staff of Romulus. This staff is crooked at one end, and called lituus.

1866 Daily Tel. 11 Oct. 2/1 It is the capitalist who carries the magician's staff of our era—he can transport or import labour as his interest dictates.

1968 U. K. Le Guin Wizard of Earthsea (2012) vii. 139 He was a wizard once himself, but he threw away his staff to serve a power greater than any mage's.

2020 Hull Daily Mail (Nexis) 8 May (Features section) 34 The siblings..discover a wizard's staff..and instructions for an incantation to reanimate their father for one day.

†6.

a. A stick or length of wood, without specific use or purpose. Obsolete.

eOE Corpus Gloss. (1890) 85/2 Olastrum, staeb.

c1425 Edward, Duke of York Master of Game (Vesp. B.xii) (1904) 105 (MED) Þan shuld..be..þe galle and þe paunch cast away, and þe remenaunt shuld be laide on a grete staf or on a boord.

c1450 Treat. Fishing in J. McDonald et al. Origins of Angling (1963) 147 (MED) How ȝe schall make your Rodde craftely..Ye schall kytte..a feyr staf evyn of a vj fote long or mor..of hasill, wilowe, or aspe.

b. A limb or stem of a tree, shrub, etc.; a stick, a branch. Obsolete.

eOE Bald's Leechbk. (Royal) (1865) i. iii. 42 Genim grenne æscenne stæf, lege on fyr, genim þonne þæt seaw þe him of gæþ.

1432 in H. Littlehales Medieval Rec. London City Church (1905) 26 Also iiij stavis of red clothid with damaske.

a1500 (?a1450) Treat. Gardening l. 28 in Archaeologia (1894) 54 161 (MED) Make thy Kyttyng of thy graffe By-twyne the newe & the olde staffe So that hit be made to lyfe.

7. An implement or component consisting of or resembling a rod or stick.

†a. The shaft of a candlestick or lamp stand. Obsolete.Attested earliest in candle-staff n.; see also Judas staff n.

ΚΠ

OE Monasteriales Indicia (1996) 26 Gyf þu candelsticcan habban wille, þonne blaw þu on þinum scytefingre and hald þine hand samlocene, swylce þu candelstæf hæbbe.

a1382 Bible (Wycliffite, E.V.) (Bodl. 959) (1959) Exod. xxv. 31 Þou schalt make aȝeten candilstyke of most clene gold, þe staffe [a1425 L.V. schaft] of it, & þe ȝerdis, cuppis, & lytyll ballis, & lylyse goyng out of it.

b. Any of various objects or implements consisting of a rod or pole; a rod, pole, shaft, etc., forming a component part in an object or device; esp. †(a) a pole ending in a small spade or shovel, used to clear earth, roots, weeds, etc., from the coulter and mouldboard of a plough (cf. plough staff n.) (obsolete); (b) a long plunger used to agitate the contents of a butter churn (cf. churn-staff n. 1).Frequently (and earliest) as the second element in compounds, as acre-staff n. cart-staff n. mash-staff n.

ΘΠ

the world > food and drink > farming > tools and implements > ploughing equipment > [noun] > plough-staff

acre-staffc1300

plough staffc1325

plough-batc1400

plough-potec1400

pattle1404

plough pattle1404

paddle1407

paddle-staff1583

pad-staff1650

sull-paddle1669

spade-staff1706

plough-spade1712

plough cleaner1850

wad-staff1856

wad-stick1889

the world > food and drink > food > food manufacture and preparation > preparation of dairy produce > [noun] > churning butter > churning-staff

churn-staff?a1500

churning-staff1768

dash1796

plunger1838

churning-stick1840

churn-dasher1845

dasher1847

churn-dash1860

a1300 Gloss. W. de Bibbesworth (Bodl.) (1929) l. 922 A kirstafe [a1325 Arun. ploustare, a1400 Corpus Cambr. ploustaf, a1400 Paris sulstaf; glossing Fr. moundilloun].

c1325 (c1300) Chron. Robert of Gloucester (Calig.) l. 2198 Ȝe beþ men bet iteiȝt to ssofle & to spade, To cartstaf & to ploustaf.

a1444 Inventory in Paston Lett. & Papers (2004) I. 20 j chirne; j chyrnyngstaf.

1559 in J. Raine Wills & Inventories Archdeaconry Richmond (1853) 134 A chirn with a staf.

1577 B. Googe tr. C. Heresbach Foure Bks. Husbandry i. f. 21 With the Rodde or Staffe well poynted, the plowman maketh cleane his Coulter.

1593 Churchwardens' Accts. St. Michael's, Oxf. (MS) It'm payd to Oven for settinge a shooe & a staff in ye plompe xxij^d.

1784 ‘An Essex Farmer’ Let. on Constr. & Use of Improved Foot Plough 18 The staff itself rests upon the pins that hold the breast to the sheath and handle.

1831 Chester Chron. 11 Mar. Cheese tub, churn and staff, several lots of cheese vats.

1928 Courier & Advertiser (Dundee) 28 Jan. (2nd ed.) 9/2 The staff of the churn was made of it [sc. rowan], so that evil spirits would play no pranks with the butter.

1994 C. Upton et al. Surv. Eng. Dial.: Dict. & Gram. Staff, the adjustable right-hand handle of a horse-drawn plough [Suffolk].

2008 S. Heaney in D. O'Driscoll Stepping Stones (2009) i. i. 17 A plunge churn, hooped and lidded, the timber lid with a hole in the middle of it to let it down over the staff.

c. The long (typically wooden) shaft or handle of a weapon or other implement.Frequently as the second element in compounds, as flail-staff n., handstaff n. 2, rake staff n.

ΘΚΠ

society > armed hostility > military equipment > weapon > sharp weapon > spear or lance > [noun] > shaft of spear

spear-shafta900

ashOE

shaftc1000

truncheon13..

tree?a1366

timberc1400

sting?a1500

spear-staff1530

steal1530

rodc1540

stale1553

stave1873

staff-

society > occupation and work > equipment > tool > parts of tools generally > [noun] > handle > long straight

stalea1200

steal1377

stealc1395

shaft1530

staff-

Promptorium Parvulorum (Harl. 221) 165 Fleyl staffe, or honde staffe [a1500 BL Add. 37789 handyll], manutentum.

1501 in J. B. Paul Accts. Treasurer Scotl. (1900) II. 22 For tua staffes to the Kingis batale axes of tre ij s. viij d.

1611 Bible (King James) 1 Sam. xvii. 7 The staffe of his speare was like a weauers beame.

1798 R. O. Mason ‘Pro Aris et Focis’ 31 Two spikes which fall from the Staff of the Pike.

1846 Sheffield & Rotherham Independent 12 Sept. The staff of the brush was broken over him.

1909 S. P. Shaler Mem. in Autobiogr. N. S. Shaler 303 A straight-handled spade, the staff six feet or so long.

2014 T. M. White Goddess at Work 99 The center two soldiers put up a feeble defense. Sajrandos gave them each a crack upon the shoulder with the staff of his lance.

d. Any of various instruments consisting principally of a large straight rod, often marked with graduations and sometimes having a movable crosspiece, used in measuring, surveying, etc.; esp. an instrument for measuring distances and heights, esp. in surveying or (formerly) in astronomy (cf. Jacob's staff n. 2). Also: a rod used as a marker when taking measurements, a ranging rod.See also back-staff n., cross-staff n. 2, fore-staff n., etc.

ΘΚΠ

the world > the earth > earth sciences > geography > map-making > surveying > [noun] > surveying instruments > staff or pole

staff?1556

a1484 Treat. on Staff Jacob (Trin. Cambr. R.14.52) in M. T. Tavormina Sex, Aging & Death in a Medieval Med. Compend. (2006) II. 664 Iff thow wilt make the Staff of Jacob, take a iiij-square yerd to the length of j or ij elnes, lengger or shorter.

?1556 L. Digges Tectonicon (title page) An Instrument called the profitable Staffe.

?a1560 L. Digges Geom. Pract.: Pantometria (1571) i. xiv. sig. D iv^v Heightes are ingeniously searched out by a staffe.

1610 A. Hopton Baculum Geodæticum iii. vii. 68 Appoint thy first station, and there place thy staffe, and take the angle of altitude.

1633 W. Forster tr. W. Oughtred Addition Circles Proportion 73 You are to remember that the degrees serving for the Crosse-staffe are placed both on the Staffe and Transversarie.

1754 M. Murray Treat. Ship-building & Navigation ii. ii. 144 Two sides of the staff are marked half breadths, and the other two sides, heighth of the sheer.

1790 E. Leach Treat. Universal Inland Navigations viii. 128 On this face of the staff's being properly divided, depends the trueness of the level.

1835 London Jrnl. Arts & Sci. 6 330 The graduated staffs or measuring rods being thus placed at the stations.

1880 L. d'A. Jackson Aid Surv.-pract. 11 Telemetrical observation on graduated staves. A graduated staff is held vertically at the required distant point [etc.].

1925 Amer. Pract. Navigator (U.S. Hydrographic Office) 252 The Staff Gauge..consists of a vertical staff graduated upward in feet and tenths, and so placed that its zero shall lie below the lowest tides.

1956 K. M. Bell Some Useful Hints Pract. Surv. 10 Assuming that our initial staff reading is round the 5 ft. mark, we still have 9 feet (assuming a 14 ft. Sopwith staff), to use up before a change point becomes necessary.

2000 Timaru (N.Z.) Herald (Nexis) 22 May He used a precision German digital process surveying level box and a bar-coded staff, accurate to one hundredth of a millimetre.

†e. A rod or bar forming a tie or brace in the framework of an object; esp. a crosspiece between the legs of a chair; a stretcher (stretcher n. 5b). Cf. round n.¹ 13c. Obsolete (chiefly English regional (midlands) in later use).See also stave n.² 3a from which this use is indistinguishable in the plural.

ΘΚΠ

the world > food and drink > farming > tools and implements > ploughing equipment > [noun] > plough > cross-bar

staff?1523

stay-rig1591

pillow1733

shoot1733

society > inhabiting and dwelling > inhabited place > a building > furniture and fittings > seat > chair > [noun] > parts of chairs > other parts

round1599

staff1851

show-wood1864

shoe-piece1867

?1523 J. Fitzherbert Bk. Husbandry f. ii^v There be two roug[h]e staues in euery plough in the hynder ende set a slope bytwene the ploughe tayle & the stylt to holde out and kepe the plough a brode in the hynder ende, and the one is lenger than the other.

1851 T. Sternberg Dial. & Folk-lore Northants. Staff, the spar or ‘round’ of a chair.

1853 Leics. Mercury 16 July Defendant then hurled the chair-staff at him, which caught him on the head.

1882 Berrows Worcester Jrnl. 20 May 4/6 She saw defendant throw the poker and staff of the chair at complainant.

f. A stand or support for a theodolite or other instrument, typically consisting of a tripod (or sometimes a single pole) having its legs pointed at the bottom to be driven into the ground. Cf. Jacob's staff n. 2c, three-legged staff. Now rare.

ΘΚΠ

the world > space > relative position > support > [noun] > that which supports > a stand or support to raise from the ground > with three legs

trivet1526

trefoot1559

three-legged staff1701

staff1728

trestle1790

tripod1825

1596 R. Agas Preparative to Platting Landes & Tenem. 8 And now to the Theodolite: Let the same be massie, & transparant (if you may) large & perfectly deuided, close & ful vpon the supporter or staffe.

1728 E. Chambers Cycl. Staff, in Surveying, a kind of Stand, whereon to mount a Theodolite, Circumferentor, plain Table, or the like, for Use. It consists of Three Legs of Wood, joyned together at one End, whereon the Instrument is placed; and made peeked at the other, to enter the Ground.

1791 G. Adams Geom. & Graphical Ess. 233 The whole instrument fits on the conical serril of a strong brass headed staff, with three substantial wooden legs.

1830 London Lit. Gaz. 30 Oct. 694/1 New and remarkably firm, yet light and portable, Tripod Staff, for the support of Drawing-Boards, Plane-Tables, Theodolites, Telescopes, &c.

1912 G. A. T. Middleton Surv. & Surv. Instruments (ed. 3) iv. 41 The surveyors' level consists of three portions..all carried upon a tripod staff, to the head of which it can be screwed.

1997 T. Pynchon Mason & Dixon 241 A Journeyman Surveyor, errant all through the North country..three-legged Staff cock'd over his shoulder, circumferentor slung in a Pitman's bag along with dry stockings.

†g. The shaft or shank of an anchor. Obsolete.

ΘΚΠ

society > travel > travel by water > vessel, ship, or boat > equipment of vessel > anchoring equipment > [noun] > anchor > shank of anchor

shankc1550

staff1611

shaft1769

1611 R. Cotgrave Dict. French & Eng. Tongues Stangue d' un' ancre, the staffe of an Anchor.

1896 Aberdeen Jrnl. 16 Nov. 6/5 One anchor fluke has penetrated the vessel and the other has broken off completely, the anchor staff being embedded.

†h. The piston or plunger of a syringe. Obsolete. rare.

ΘΚΠ

the world > health and disease > healing > medical appliances or equipment > equipment for applying medicaments > [noun] > syringe > piston of

staff1653

embolus1669

1617 J. Woodall Surgions Mate 19 When you would put in your medicine, you must draw down your staffe as low as you can.

1651 T. Brugis Vade Mecum 149 When we give comfortable Clysters, we oftentimes force them up as far as we can, I mean the Liquor by thrusting the staffe harder; when you draw out your siringe, let it be washed and wiped clean, and the staffe drawn out of the barrel.

i. A rod used as or forming the gnomon of a sundial. Now chiefly historical.

ΘΚΠ

the world > time > instruments for measuring time > [noun] > sundial > parts of

pinOE

gnomon1546

style1577

cock1585

hour-line1593

substyle1593

index1594

noon-line1596

incliner1638

substylara1652

substylar linea1652

staff1669

nodus1678

node1704

stylus1796

noon-mark1842

sun line1877

1624 J. Aspley Speculum Nauticum xiv. 49 By the verse or contrary shaddow, is vnderstood the length of any shaddow, that is made by a staffe or Gnomon, standing against any Perpendicular wall, in such a maner that it may lie parallell vnto the Horizon.

1702 Eng. Chapmans & Traveller's Almanack sig. A4 For the ready finding of the Hour of the Day by this Dial, you must provide a streight Staff or Ruler.

1829 Chapters Physical Sci. ix. 89 The sun dial, which marks the time by the shadow of a stile or staff.

2004 L. Adkins & R. A. Adkins Handbk. Life Anc. Rome (rev. ed.) 376/1 In its most simple form, the sundial consisted of a gnomon or staff.

j. Surgery. A long metal rod, typically grooved, used to guide the knife while making a surgical incision, esp. during operations on the urethra or bladder; = director n. 3c. Now historical.Cf. also conductor n. 10.

ΘΚΠ

the world > health and disease > healing > medical appliances or equipment > surgical instruments > [noun] > guiding or directing instruments

director1667

directory1693

staff1699

obturator1862

1683 G. Harvey Conclave of Physicians iii. 44 The Operation was performed upon the Staff, (that is, with the Apparatus major)..but no Stone was to be found in this Quarry.

1699 M. Lister Journey to Paris (new ed.) 233 He boldly thrusts in a broad Lancet..till he joins the Catheter or Staff, or the Stone betwixt his Fingers.

1720 J. Douglas Lithotomia Douglassiana 14 That [operation] which Surgeons call Cutting on the Staffe, i.e. when a furrow'd Probe is pass'd into the Bladder, upon which they afterwards Cut.

1808 R. Allan Hist. Operation Lithotomy 23 He [sc. Frère Jacques] used a big round staff without a groove.

1895 Catal. Surg. Instruments (Arnold & Sons) 625 Lithotomy Instruments... Six Staffs, grooved.

1923 Brit. Med. Jrnl. 14 July 69/2 The operation [sc. perineal section] is greatly facilitated by the use of the special staff depicted here.

2001 H. Ellis Hist. Surg. xii. 184/1 The plan of the procedure was to pass a grooved staff into the bladder along the urethra and subsequently to cut down upon this instrument.

k. Watchmaking. An axle or arbor (arbor n.¹ 2).balance staff, pallet staff: see the first element.

ΘΚΠ

the world > time > instruments for measuring time > watch > [noun] > parts of

barrel1591

motion1605

bezel1616

fusee1622

string1638

crown wheel1646

out-case1651

watch-box1656

nuck1664

watchwork1667

balance-wheel1669

box1675

dial wheel1675

counter-potence1678

pendulum-balance1680

watch-case1681

pillar1684

contrate teeth1696

pinion of report1696

watch-hook1698

bob-balance1701

half-cock1701

potence1704

verge1704

pad1705

movable1709

jewel1711

pendant1721

crystal1722

watch-key1723

pendulum spring1728

lock spring1741

watch-glass1742

watch-spring1761

all-or-nothing piece1764

watch hand1764

cylinder1765

cannon?1780

cannon1802

stackfreed1819

pillar plate1821

little hand1829

hair-spring1830

lunette1832

all-or-nothing1843

locking1851

slag1857

staff1860

case spring1866

stem1866

balance-cock1874

watch-dial1875

balance-spring1881

balance-staff1881

Breguet spring1881

overcoil1881

surprise-piece1881

brass edge1884

button turn1884

fourth wheel1884

fusee-sink1884

pair-case1884

silver bar1884

silver piece1884

slang1884

top plate1884

karrusel1893

watch-face1893

watch bracelet1896

bar-movement1903

jewel pivot1907

jewel bearing1954

1773 T. Hatton Introd. Clock & Watch Work i. 137 At such a distance as to allow for the staff of the verge to go between them.

1860 E. B. Denison Clocks & Watches & Bells 285 The staff or arbor of the balance.

1885 C. G. W. Lock Workshop Receipts 4th Ser. 339/1 Centre the point so that the body of the staff runs perfectly true.

1902 Daily Chron. 13 May 10/5 All Jobbers requiring pivots, staffs, cylinders, and complicated watch repairs.

1995 P. Woodward My Own Right Time Gloss. 157 Staff—Another word for an axle; traditionally, the arbor of a balance is called the balance staff and the arbor for the pallets of a watch escapement the pallet staff.

l. Chiefly U.S. A pole or stick at the end of a fishing net or seine which keeps the net expanded; = stretcher n. 6b. Now rare.

ΚΠ

1823 J. F. Cooper Pioneers II. iv. 59 Benjamin prided himself greatly on his skill in throwing his net... A loud plash in the water, as he threw away the ‘staff’, or ‘stretcher’.

1924 W. C. Schroeder Fisheries of Key West & Clam Industry of S. Florida (U.S. Dept. Commerce. Bureau of Fisheries) 36 Quickly surround the mullets, describing a semicircle and bringing the staffs of the nets together at another point.

1973 Marine Fisheries Rev. Dec. 29/2 When the nets are ready to be fished, the staffs of the two back nets are lashed together.

m. Railways (originally and chiefly British). A rod or baton given to a train driver as authority to travel over a single-track section of a railway line as a means of preventing collisions, the existence of a single staff for that section ensuring that there can only be a train travelling in one direction at any given time; = train staff n. (a) at train n.² Compounds 2c. Cf. token n. 7b. Now chiefly historical.

ΘΚΠ

society > travel > rail travel > railway system or organization > [noun] > system for use of single track > token or staff

train ticket1841

train staff1853

staff1885

staff ticket1885

tablet1885

token1936

1853 Railway Times 5 Feb. 143/3 Dismissal will immediately follow if the train is started without the ‘staff’, or if the ‘staff’ is carried beyond the proper station.

1883 Queensland Figaro 5 May 286/2 There were no signals; no single line ‘staff’; no watches..no station masters.

1931 D. L. Sayers Five Red Herrings xxvii. 330 The station-master marched across, carrying the staff under his arm.

2005 S. Hall Mod. Signalling Handbk. (rev. ed.) 9/1 A single line staff, usually a wooden or metal rod, engraved with the name of the branch, was the driver's authority to enter the single line, and as there was only one such staff in existence, safety was assured.

8. Each of a number of rods, bars, beams, or slats forming part of an implement or other manufactured object.

a. A rung of a ladder. Cf. stave n.² 3a. Now rare.

ΘΚΠ

society > occupation and work > equipment > ladder > [noun] > rung or step

stepc1000

gangOE

stavec1175

tine?c1225

ladder stalea1250

degreec1290

rungc1300

staffc1325

stairc1400

ladder stavec1440

scalec1440

roundc1450

stakec1450

sprang1527

staver1534

rundle1565

rave1566

roundel1585

rondel1616

ladder rung1620

rowel1652

spokea1658

stower1674

stale1714

rim1788

tread1838

through1899

step iron1912

c1175 ( Ælfric's Homily on Nativity of Christ (Bodl. 343) in A. O. Belfour 12th Cent. Homilies in MS Bodl. 343 (1909) 80 He bið ilic þam men þe..astihð þonne uppon þære læddrestæfæ [OE Julius hlæddre stapum]..& wule þonne stiȝan ufor butan stafæ [OE Julius buton stapum].

c1450 (?a1400) Wars Alexander (Ashm.) l. 1438 On ilka staffe of a staire..stike wald a cluster.

a1500 (?a1450) Gesta Romanorum (BL Add. 9066) (1879) 367 Lete vs assende vp..by the goldyn laddere; of the which the fyrste staffe is contricion of herte.

1563 2nd Tome Homelyes Repentance ii. 279 The first staffe or steppe of this ladder.

1657 J. Watts Scribe, Pharisee iii. 99 They fall off the Ladder at the lower staffe or step again.

1800 Porcupine 29 Nov. As a plumber and glazier..was descending from a house..by a ladder which had lost a staff, he missed his step, and fell.

1897 Hastings & St. Leonards (E. Sussex) Observer 9 Oct. 4/5 Farming Stock & Effects... 2-horse cylinder roll, 28-staff ladder, corn bushel, &c.

2011 B. R. Mehta Folk Tales from Multan i. 18 You have put your hand on this wooden staff of the ladder.

b. Each of a number of horizontal bars or rods in a loom; esp. each of the bars or which bear the heddles and may be raised or lowered to change the shed. Now rare.Stave is now the more common term in this sense, although it is not always clear which word is represented by the plural form staves; see stave n.² 3b.

ΘΚΠ

the world > textiles and clothing > textiles > textile manufacture > manufacture textile fabric or that which consists of > manufacture of textile fabric > [noun] > weaving > loom > other parts

studdlelOE

staff1338

trendle14..

trindle1483

cylinder?a1560

harness1572

mail1731

mounture1731

leaf1807

march1807

dropbox1823

neck-twine1827

mounting1835

shaft1839

Jack1848

selvage-protector1863

serpent1878

take-up motiona1884

swell1894

1338 in Dugdale's Monasticon Anglicanum (1819) II. 585/2 Item pro weblomes emptis xx^s. Et pro staves ad easdem vj^d.

1797 Encycl. Brit. XVIII. 835/1 The lams..or, as they are called in some parts of Scotland, the hiddles, and in others the staves.

1864 Brit. Patent 515 4 A heald formed of a single heald twine running from staff to staff, and consolidated at its extremities by means of a foundation cord.

1982 Abstracts in German Anthropol. 4 §82-223 The dividing staffs are inserted, the heddle staff is twisted in and fixed.

c. Each of the thin, narrow, shaped lengths of wood which are fitted together to make the sides of a wooden barrel, bucket, etc. Now rare.The more usual term in this sense is now stave: see stave n.² 4a.

ΘΚΠ

society > occupation and work > equipment > receptacle or container > vessel > barrel or cask > [noun] > stave

stavea1398

staff1531

stap1587

bung-stave1860

society > occupation and work > materials > raw material > wood > wood in specific form > [noun] > strip of wood > for making casks or vessels

stavea1398

staff1531

barrel stave1549

hogshead stavec1580

pipe stavec1580

lag1659

laggin1825

noggin-stave1855

staver1891

a1398 J. Trevisa tr. Bartholomaeus Anglicus De Proprietatibus Rerum (BL Add. 27944) (1975) II. xix. cxxviii. 1376 Dolium ‘a tonne’ is an holowȝ vessel and..it is ymade of many bordes and tonne staues craftyliche ybounde togidres.

1531–2 Act 23 Hen. VIII c. 4 §8 If any personne..do mynysshe..any maner of barrell..by reason of..takyng oute of any Staffe out or frome any suche vessell.

1599 T. Dallam Diary in J. T. Bent Early Voy. Levant (1893) i. 35 Ther weare marvalus greate peecis that weare made of hammered Iron, everie stafe at the leaste 3 inches square, and houped aboute lyke a barrell.

1675 H. Neville tr. N. Machiavelli Art of War ii. ix, in tr. N. Machiavelli Wks. 460 The Soldiers..fall immediately into their ranks, as easily as we put together the Staffes of a barrel when we have marked them before.

1770 C. Hutton Treat. Mensuration ii. vii. 539 The sides or edges of each staff of a cask..are made tapering in a streight line.

1853 F. Baraga Dict. Otchipwe Lang. 616/2 Staff, for a barrel, etc.

1999 P. A. Laplante Comprehensive Dict. Electr. Engin. 53/1 The appearance of these vertical lines is similar to the staffs of a barrel.

†d. Each of a number of rods or rails forming the bars of a cage, the body of a cart, etc. Obsolete.

ΘΚΠ

society > occupation and work > equipment > other specific types of equipment > [noun] > other tools and equipment

pollhache1324

poleaxe1356

muckrake1366

pestlea1382

botea1450

staff1459

press-board1558

reel1593

water crane1658

lathekin1659

tower1662

dressing hook1683

liner1683

hovel1686

flax-brake1688

nipper1688

horse1728

tap1797

feather-stick1824

bow1839

safety belt1840

economizer1841

throttle damper1849

cleat1854

leg brace1857

bark-peeler1862

pugging screw1862

nail driver1863

spool1864

turntable1865

ovate1872

tension bar1879

icebreaker1881

spreader1881

toucher1881

window pole1888

mushroom head1890

rat1894

slackline1896

auger1897

latch hook1900

thimble1901

horse1904

pipe jack1909

mulcher1910

hand plate1911

splashguard1917

cheese-cutter1927

airbrasive1945

impactor1945

fogger1946

1459 Inventory Fastolf's Goods in Paston Lett. (1904) III. 167 Item, j. roste iron with vij. staves.

?1523 J. Fitzherbert Bk. Husbandry f. xlvii If any gate be broken downe, or want any staues.

?1530 J. Fitzherbert Bk. Husbandry (rev. ed.) f. xxxi^v Make standynge cratches to cast theyr fodder in, and the staues set nyghe ynough to gyder for pullynge theyr fodder to hastely out.

1601 P. Holland tr. Pliny Hist. World II. xxx. x. 388 The staves and windings, whereof the said cages are made.

1688 R. Holme Acad. Armory iii. viii. 339/2 The two Cart Raers, the Railes on the Cart top. The Cart Staves, are those that hold the Cart & the Raers together, which maketh the Cart Body.

†e. Each of the spokes of a wheel. Obsolete.

ΘΚΠ

society > occupation and work > equipment > machine > parts of machines > wheel > [noun] > parts of wheels > spoke

spokec888

burela1300

speke?a1400

staff1642

spar1688

1567 G. Fenton tr. M. Bandello Certaine Tragicall Disc. f. 288 So fortune, disposed to compassion..lent hym a meane to clymbe the higheste staffe of her wheele.

1642 D. Rogers Naaman 296 As then the spokes and staves cannot be wanting to a wheele.

1676 D. Decoisnon tr. U. Chevreau Mirror of Fortune ii. vi.179 Looking attentively upon this wheel, I perceived that the highest staff of it, became the lowest, in an instant, by its turning.

†f. Mechanics. Each of the set of equally-spaced parallel bars fixed between two discs to form a trundle (trundle n. 2); = stave n.² 3c. Obsolete.

ΘΚΠ

society > occupation and work > equipment > machine > parts of machines > wheel > [noun] > parts of wheels > tooth

coga1250

tooth?1523

sprocket1655

staff1659

leaf1675

wrong1688

round1731

wrist1864

whelp1875

wrist-pin1875

pinion leaf1881

1659 J. Leak tr. I. de Caus New Inventions Water-works 18 Near the end, there is..a Lanthorn or Pinion of 12. Staves.

1764 J. Ferguson Lect. Select Subj. iv. 45 As every cog comes to the trundle, it will take the next staff or round behind the one which it took in the former revolution.

1805 D. Brewster Ferguson's Lect. I. 82 (note) The cylindrical bars of trundles..are called staves, or rounds.

1825 ‘J. Nicholson’ Operative Mechanic 24 The semi-diameter of a staff of the trundle.

9. Heraldry.

a. A representation of a stick or staff. Formerly sometimes also applied to a narrow form of the bend sinister; = baton n. 3 (cf. fissure n. 2c).Attested earliest in ragged staff n. 1.

ΘΚΠ

society > communication > indication > insignia > heraldic devices collective > charge: device on shield > [noun] > charge of simplest or commonest kind > band crossing shield diagonally > running from top right to bottom left > of quarter width

bastonc1425

fissure1486

staff1486

batoon1562

fillet1572

baton1816

1397 Inquisition Misc. (P.R.O.: C 145/266/12) j lectus cum integr. celur. de blod. Satyn embroidat. cum ragget staues in j nigr. plake de veluet.

1486 Blasyng of Armys sig. evii^v, in Bk. St. Albans Ther be fyssuris or stauys playn, ingradyt, inueckyt, and fusyllatit..And theys stauys bastardys ar wont to bere..And then thys fyssure is calde a staffe.

1688 R. Holme Acad. Armory 147/2 A bear in Bend Sinister, supporting a bowed Staff.

1733 W. Sliford Court Reg. 33 It is called the Green-Cloth, from the Green Cloth whereat they sit, over which are the Arms of the Compting-house, being Vert, a Key and a Rod Or, a Staff in Saltire Argent.

1780 J. Edmondson Compl. Body Heraldry II. (Gloss.) Fissure, is the fourth part of a bend sinister, and is by some called a Staff.

1874 J. W. Papworth & A. W. Morant Alphabet. Dict. Coats of Arms 1096/1 Arg. a hawk ppr...standing on a staff couped and raguled vert.

1900 J. B. Paul Heraldry in relation to Sc. Hist. & Art v. 173 The knight wields a staff raguly, which he brandishes over his shoulder.

1992 D. R. Mandich & J. A. Placek Russian Heraldry & Nobility 50 Dubliansky... Azure, in bend a standard, draped over the staff argent its banner dejectant gules.

b. Each of the rays of a carbuncle (carbuncle n. 2). Cf. sense 8e. Now rare.

ΘΠ

society > communication > indication > insignia > heraldic devices collective > other heraldic representations > [noun] > carbuncle > ray of

staff1610

1610 J. Guillim Display of Heraldrie iii. vi. 102 The Field is Ruby, a Chief pearle, ouer all an Escarbuncle of eight staues.

1748 P. Morant Hist. & Antiq. Colchester ii. 36/2 The Arms of St John's Abbey were, Gules, a Cross within a bordure, or; over all, a Carbuncle of eight staves, sable, fleury argent.

1847 H. Gough Gloss. Terms Brit. Heraldry 294 Staff, a word applied by some to the rays of an escarbuncle, and the spokes of a wheel.

1962 H. Allcock Heraldic Design 22 The escarbuncle..consists of eight decorated iron bands or staves radiating from a central boss.

†10. An enclosure or plot of pasture ground. Cf. staff-acre n. at Compounds 1b. Obsolete. rare.In quot. 1427, perhaps used as a measure of land.

ΘΚΠ

the world > food and drink > farming > farm > farmland > grassland > [noun] > pasture > enclosed pasture

ham901

green yard1418

pasture field1464

ward1473

butt1542

paddock1547

septuma1552

staff1786

camp1877

night paddock1922

run-off1933

1427 in M. T. Löfvenberg Contrib. Middle Eng. Lexicogr. & Etymol. (1946) 62 (MED) [Three] staves [of meadow and 7 acres of land].

1786 Jackson's Oxf. Jrnl. 3 June 1/3 A Ham or Staff of rich Meadow Ground, in Kelmscott, containing ten Acres and a Half.

11. A length of wood cut in preparation for being made into a bow; (later also) the flexible wooden part of a longbow or similar weapon. Cf. stave n.² 1.Recorded earliest in bowstaff n., although perhaps attested earlier in staff-maker: see quot. ?1416 at Compounds 1a(a).

ΘΚΠ

society > armed hostility > military equipment > production and development of arms > [noun] > process in bow- or arrow-making > material for bows

yewOE

bowstaff1436

bois d'arc1805

bow-wood1805

stave1891

society > occupation and work > materials > raw material > wood > [noun] > wood for making bows

yewOE

bowstaff1436

staff1545

bow-sting1551

bow-wood1805

society > armed hostility > military equipment > weapon > device for discharging missiles > archer's weapons > [noun] > bow > wooden part

bow-tree?1506

a1450 ( Libel Eng. Policy (Laud) in T. Wright Polit. Poems & Songs (1861) II. 171 Now bere and bacon bene fro Pruse ibroughte..coppre, bow-staffes, stile, and wex.

1688 R. Holme Acad. Armory iii. 105/2 A Staff, the first cleeving out of the Timber, to make the Shaft.

1900 Boy's Own Paper 16 June 587/3 His wife gives the finishing touches to the staff of a bow with a piece of broken glass, which shaves the bamboo off in beautiful tender curls.

2020 M. P. Meyer Archery & Human Condition i. 28 Imagine that these two poles are the opposite ends of the staff of a bow.

†12. Agriculture. A bundle of teasel heads bound together after harvesting and drying, typically in order to be sold for use in cloth manufacture; = stave n.² 6. Cf. row n.¹ 10. Obsolete.The number of heads considered to constitute a staff varies locally and depending on the grade or size of the heads.

ΘΚΠ

the world > space > relative position > arrangement or fact of being arranged > state of being gathered together > an assemblage or collection > [noun] > bundle > of teasel-heads

stave1707

row1792

the world > textiles and clothing > textiles > textile manufacture > manufacture textile fabric or that which consists of > manufacture of textile fabric > treating or processing textile fabric > [noun] > putting nap on > teazle > bundle of

staff1794

1559 in J. M. Bestall & D. V. Fowkes Chesterfield Wills & Inventories 1521–1603 (1977) 89 2 payre of shetes and 2 table clothes..staves of taselles.

1794 Gen. View Agric. Essex (Messrs. Griggs) 19 These heads [of teasel] are..bound up in small bunches, or gleans, of five and twenty heads each; the like number of which bunches, or gleans, constitute half a staff; which, after a few days sun, to harden and dry them, are tied together upon a stick or staff, of two feet and a half long, and in this form, carried to market.

1833 Jrnl. Franklin Instit. Mar. 208 The common produce is about one hundred and sixty bundles or staffs per acre.

1855 J. C. Morton Cycl. Agric. II. 955/1 A pack contains forty staves, each staff twenty to twenty-five handsful, each handful from twenty-five to twenty heads.

1855 J. C. Morton Cycl. Agric. II. (Gloss.) 1126/2 Staff, of teazles (Essex), 50 bunches, or gleans of 25 each = 1250. (Gloucesters.), 25 glens of 20 = 500; of kings, 30 glens of 10 = 300.

13. The penis.In quot. 1602 with punning reference to a constable's staff; cf. sense 4a.

ΘΠ

the world > life > the body > sex organs > male sex organs > [noun] > penis

weapona1000

tarsec1000

pintleOE

cock?c1335

pillicock?c1335

yard1379

arrowa1382

looma1400

vergea1400

instrumentc1405

fidcocka1475

privya1500

virile member (or yard)?1541

prickc1555

tool1563

pillock1568

penis1578

codpiece1584

needle1592

bauble1593

dildo1597

nag1598

virility1598

ferret1599

rubigo?a1600

Jack1604

mentula1605

virge1608

prependent1610

flute1611

other thing1628

engine1634

manhood1640

cod1650

quillity1653

rammer1653

runnion1655

pego1663

sex1664

propagator1670

membrum virile1672

nervea1680

whore-pipe1684

Roger1689

pudding1693

handle?1731

machine1749

shaft1772

jock1790

poker1811

dickyc1815

Johnny?1833

organ1833

intromittent apparatus1836

root1846

Johnson1863

Peter1870

John Henry1874

dickc1890

dingusc1890

John Thomasc1890

old fellowc1890

Aaron's rod1891

dingle-dangle1893

middle leg1896

mole1896

pisser1896

micky1898

baby-maker1902

old man1902

pecker1902

pizzle1902

willy1905

ding-dong1906

mickey1909

pencil1916

dingbatc1920

plonkerc1920

Johna1922

whangera1922

knob1922

tube1922

ding1926

pee-pee1927

prong1927

pud1927

hose1928

whang1928

dong1930

putz1934

porkc1935

wiener1935

weenie1939

length1949

tadger1949

winkle1951

dinger1953

winky1954

dork1961

virilia1962

rig1964

wee-wee1964

Percy1965

meat tool1966

chopper1967

schlong1967

swipe1967

chode1968

trouser snake1968

ding-a-ling1969

dipstick1970

tonk1970

noonies1972

salami1977

monkey1978

langer1983

wanker1987

1602 T. Dekker Blurt Master-Constable sig. H Right Sir, this is the whoore-house, heere hee calles and sets in his staffe.

1660 Wandring Whore Continued No. 2. 8 I fear the foul disease is so deeply rooted in her rotten husband, (as appears by his staff since he was at Enfield,) that he will shortly be put in the Bill of Mortality.

1880 Pearl Oct. 104 Isabel commenced playing with my staff.

1904 Lustful Mem. Young & Passionated Girl 15 Abner unbuttoned his pants and took out his staff.

1980 Maledicta 4 163 Said his girl with a laugh, As she fingered his staff, ‘Well, this won't be much of a sin.’

†14. A group or set of birds.

a. Cockfighting. A group or set of fighting cocks (sometimes defined as four birds, or later often as a pair). Obsolete.

ΘΚΠ

the world > animals > birds > order Falconiformes (falcons, etc.) > family Accipitridae (hawks, etc.) > [noun] > hawk > set of three

staff1688

the world > animals > birds > order Galliformes (fowls) > family Phasianidae (pheasants, etc.) > hen or cock > [noun] > cock > pair of

staff1688

1688 R. Holme Acad. Armory ii. 252/2 The fighting of four staves of Cocks (or 16 Cocks) two & two at a time, which makes 8 Battles.

1691 J. Ray S. & E. Country Words in Coll. Eng. Words (ed. 2) 115 A Staffe of Cocks, a pair of Cocks.

1705 W. Machrie Ess. Royal Recreation & Art Cocking 28 Among Cockers four are termed a Staff of Cocks.

1739 Belfast News Let. 13 Mar. Mr. M. Donnell's Side..has..sent a Challenge to some Cockers in the County of Derry, to shew six Staff of Cocks, on the second Day of April next.

1790 F. Grose Provinc. Gloss. (ed. 2) A staffe of cocks; a pair of cocks.

b. A group of three hawks. Cf. leash n. 2. Obsolete.

1688 R. Holme Acad. Armory ii. 311/1 Three a staff of Hawks.

15. A length of wood or another material inscribed with symbols or alphabetic characters (typically runes), sometimes functioning as a calendar or having a divinatory purpose. Cf. stave n.² 8, rune-staff n.

1705 Philos. Trans. 1704–05 (Royal Soc.) 24 2058 John Buraeus, a Swede..began..laboriously to gather them [sc. Runick Letters] from Astronomical Staffs, and the most ancient Rocks of Sweden.

1770 T. Percy tr. P. H. Mallet Northern Antiq. I. xiii. 358 A kind of calendars, which they called Runic staffs.

1877 Fraser’s Mag. May 619/1 I cannot read the runic staff you brought.

1937 Folklore 48 415 The second [article] describes a ‘calendar staff’ of unknown provenance.

2005 D. King Finding Atlantis vi. 80 One illiterate man taught him to use medieval runic staffs to predict celestial phenomena.

16. As a unit of length, esp. (English regional (Devon)) one equivalent to half a rod (rod n.¹ 8a). Now historical.

ΘΚΠ

the world > relative properties > measurement > measurement of length > [noun] > units of length or distance > length of foot > nine feet

staff1796

1796 W. Marshall Provincialisms W. Devonshire in Rural Econ. W. Eng. I. 330 Staff, a measure of nine feet; half a customary rod.

1875 Rep. & Trans. Devonshire Assoc. 7 547 ‘Staff’ is used about Torquay as a name for 8.25 feet, half a rod.

1953 Math. Gaz. 37 103 (note) The staff is a sexpeda... 5 perches ≡ 10 rods ≡ 20 staves.

17. Building.

a. A piece of wood or strip of beading fixed vertically along the edge of an exposed or projecting corner of an internal wall to protect or reinforce the plaster. Now rare (in later use only in angle-staff n.).See also staff angle n., staff bead n., staff moulding n.

ΘΚΠ

society > inhabiting and dwelling > inhabited place > a building > furniture and fittings > wallcovering > [noun] > vertical bead on exterior angle

angle bead1799

staff1812

staff-bead1833

staff-angle1875

society > occupation and work > industry > building or constructing > constructing or working with wood > [noun] > wooden structures or wooden parts of > specific pieces of woodwork

top-rail1679

sea-brace1776

angle bead1799

staff1812

angle-staff1825

warping1833

lipping1963

1812 P. Nicholson Mech. Exercises 202 Staff, a piece of wood fixed to the external angle of the two upright sides of a wall for floating the plaster to, and for defending the angle against accidents.

1940 Chambers's Techn. Dict. 35/1 Angle-staff,..a strip of wood placed at an external angle formed by plastered surfaces to protect the corner from damage.

†b. A convex moulding or ornament resembling a rod or staff, esp. one used to fill the flutings at the base of a column or pilaster. Obsolete.See also staff moulding n.

ΘΚΠ

society > leisure > the arts > visual arts > architecture > column > [noun] > shaft of column > fluting > rope or staff

rudenture1723

cabling1753

staff1817

1817 T. Rickman Attempt to discriminate Styles Eng. Archit. 95 The square pedestal of the pinnacle being set with an angle to the front, is continued down, and on each side is set a small buttress of a smaller face than this pedestal, thus leaving a small staff between them..this small staff at each set-off has the moulding to it.

1927 W. Verrall Mod. Plasterer II. v. 60 Sometimes these channels are filled by a staff which runs up to one-third of the height, and when this is the case such columns or pilasters are said to be cabled or reeded.

II. A letter, verse, or musical staff.

18.

†a. A written character; a letter. Also: (in plural) writing, written text. Cf. bookstaff n. Obsolete.

ΘΚΠ

society > communication > writing > written character > [noun] > letter

staffc888

bookstaffOE

Kc1000

Yc1000

Zc1000

AOE

EOE

GOE

MOE

ROE

letterc1225

print1340

tawc1400

Wc1465

J1591

stave1866

alphabet1972

X-

OE Ælfric Gram. (St. John's Oxf.) 4 Littera is stæf on englisc.

OE Aldhelm Glosses (Brussels 1650) in L. Goossens Old Eng. Glosses of MS Brussels, Royal Libr. 1650 (1974) 276 [Quae] literarum apicibus [inserta leguntur] : gewrita litteris stricum uel stafum.

OE tr. Bede Eccl. Hist. (Cambr. Univ. Libr.) v. xix. 468 Bæd he se cyning þone abbud, þæt he him sende trymmendlice stafas & gewrito [L. ut exhortatorias sibi litteras mitteret].

lOE King Ælfred tr. Boethius De Consol. Philos. (Bodl.) (2009) I. xix. 283 Hwæt is heora nu to lafe, butan se lytla hlisa & se nama mid feaum stafum awriten?

c1175 Ormulum (Burchfield transcript) l. 16403–5 & off þatt name toc drihhtin. An staff. allfa. ȝehatenn. To timmbrenn till þe firrste mann Hiss name off stafess fowwre.

†b. An engraved or inscribed mark. Obsolete.

ΚΠ

c1275 (?a1200) Laȝamon Brut (Calig.) (1978) l. 10555 Þer wes innen igrauen mid rede golde stauen. an on-licnes deore of Drihtenes moder.

c. A straight line or stroke used in forming a runic letter or symbol; spec. a vertical or upright stroke extending the full height of the rune. Also: a runic symbol; a rune. Cf. stave n.² 12a, rune-stave n., roun-staff n.

1968 Language 44 630 The only conclusion remaining is that we have a bind-rune er in which the left staff of the e and the staff of the r coincide.

1975 E. H. Antonsen Conc. Gram. of Older Runic Inscriptions 7 A first glance at the runes reveals a basic distinction among those with two staffs, one staff, and no staff.

1984 Language 60 669/1 A verb *falh—which, however, would have been written *(falah), and would not fit the number of staffs visible on the stone.

2008 H. Williams in S. Brink & N. Price Viking World xxi. 282 The staveless runes (also called the Swedish or Hälsinge runes)..lack the main staff.

2011 Leeds Stud. Eng. 42 53 Various values are assigned to this staff in the English manuscript tradition.

†19.

a. A line of verse. Obsolete.

ΘΚΠ

society > leisure > the arts > literature > poetry > part of poem > [noun] > line

versec900

staffc1450

line?1566

numeral1605

stich1723

stike-

c1475 in Archiv f. das Studium der Neueren Sprachen (1900) 104 309 All be it the frenssh in foure staves be, The ynglissh sevyn kepith in degree.

a1500 Partenay (Trin. Cambr.) l. 6555 (MED) As ny as metre can conclude sentence, Cereatly by rew in it haue I go Nerehande stafe by staf.

c1540 Pilgrim's Tale 739 in F. Thynne Animaduersions (1875) App. i. 98 Thes .vi. stauis..Whiche be chaucers awn hand wark.

b. A group of lines forming a section or division of a poem; a poetic verse; a stanza. Cf. baston n. 1. Obsolete. After the 18th cent. this sense is only recorded for the related word stave; see stave n.² 10.

ΘΚΠ

society > leisure > the arts > literature > poetry > part of poem > [noun] > stanza

versec1308

baston?c1335

staff1533

stanza1589

couplement1594

stance1596

stave1659

strophe1895

st.-

1533 J. Heywood Play of Wether sig. Aiiii At thende of this staf the god hath a song played in his trone.

1575 G. Gascoigne Certayne Notes Instr. in Posies sig. U.j^v Rythme royall is a verse of tenne sillables, and seuen such verses make a staffe.

1607 R. C. tr. H. Estienne World of Wonders xxiv. 199 Huictain [glossed in margin as:] A staffe of eight verses.

1772 A. Adam Princ. Lat. & Eng. Gram. 209 Any one of these parts of a poem, in which the different kinds of verse are comprehended, when taken by itself, is called a Strophe, Stanza, or Staff.

c. A verse or other section of a song. Obsolete.After the 18th cent. this sense is only recorded for the related word stave; see stave n.² 10.

ΚΠ

1598 B. Yong tr. A. Pérez 2nd Pt. Diana in tr. J. de Montemayor Diana 257 These two last staeffs [sic] so liuely touched Parthenius that sung them.

1602 B. Jonson Poetaster ii. ii. sig. D^v I can sing but one staffe of the Dittie neither.

1643 A. Jackson Help Understanding Script. xv. 163 When the men had sung a verse or staff of the former song, then she with her women took her course, and sung it over again.

1739 tr. Marquis d'Argens Jewish Lett. I. xxxvii. 255 Louis issued a Decree by which all Poetasters were exempted of any Toll or Duty, &c. on reciting a Staff of a Song to the Toll-gatherers.

20. Music. A set of horizontal, parallel lines used in musical notation, the position of the head of each note relative to these lines and the spaces between them being indicative of the note's pitch.The number of lines included in a staff has varied over time. Although plainsong is notated using a staff of four lines, standard Western musical notation now has five, the pitches represented by each line or space of the staff being determined by the position and form of a clef (clef n.¹ a) written at the beginning. A set or system (system n. 1b) of two or more staffs written one above the other may be used where a wide range of pitches or several concurrent melodies or parts need to be represented, for example in piano or choral music.In British English, stave is the more common term in this sense (see stave n.² 11).

ΘΚΠ

society > leisure > the arts > music > written or printed music > notation > [noun] > stave

scale1598

system1653

staff1654

stave1786

1654 J. Playford Breefe Introd. Skill Musick i. 3 But for Lessons for the Organ, Virginalls, or Harp two staves of six lines together are required.

1740 J. Grassineau tr. S. De Brossard Musical Dict. 55 He added five more chords or notes to it; laid them all down on a staff of five lines.

1782 C. Burney Gen. Hist. Music II. 87 The regular staff of four lines.

1854 A. N. Johnson Pract. Instr. Harmony liv. 196 It will be better for the student to use four staves in these exercises, placing the treble, alto, tenor and base [sic] each on a separate staff.

1929 Jrnl. Educ. 109 455/1 In the bass clef the note on the first line of the staff is C, while the note on the first line of the treble staff is E.

1955 Notes Sept. 658/1 There is no full score, but he condensed score is done in from three to five staffs.

2011 G. Mazzola et al. Musical Creativity xxiii. 253 For Joomi it is no problem to record the pitches for piano or another pitch-specifying instrument because the pitches could be shown with the exact information on the staff.

III. A group of people employed to carry out the work of an organization, and related senses.In plural always staffs.

21. Military.

a. Originally: the group of officers and other personnel who perform regimental duties rather than engaging in combat as a part of one of the regiment's companies, e.g. the quartermaster, provost, surgeon, chaplain, etc. From the late 18th cent.: a group of officers, along with other personnel, assisting and advising a commanding officer in matters of administration, planning, coordination of operations, etc.; (also) a group of officers and other personnel assigned to perform a specialist duty, e.g. the running of a military hospital. Cf. staff officer n. 1.

ΘΚΠ

society > armed hostility > warrior > soldier > leader or commander > officer or soldier of rank > [noun] > staff officer > staff of officers

ordinary1526

generality1578

generalty1643

staff1781

état-major1805

headquarters1812

horse guards1826

higher command1842

high command1904

family1907

1632 tr. Swedish Discipline iii. 78 The Regiment-Staffe, consists of such as are necessary people to the Regiment, notwithstanding their office be not to fight: of which the Quarter-master is the first, and the Hangman the last.

1637 R. Monro Exped. Scots Regim. i. 42 The Colonells company and Sr. Patrick Mac-Geys with the staffe, were quartered with me in Marbo.

1683 J. Turner Pallas Armata iii. xi. 223 A Regiment thus composed of ten Companies hath Officers (besides those of Companies already describ'd) whose charges belong equally to all the ten, those are called Officers of the Staff.

1746 Jrnls. House of Commons 22 Jan. (1803) 25 248/2 Seven hundred Ninety-one Men strong, comprehending the great and small Staff of the Regiments.

1781 T. Simes Mil. Guide (ed. 3) 7 The Staff properly exists only in the time of war.

1795 in Ld. Auckland's Corr. (1862) III. 328 My destiny is finally to act on the staff in the island of Corsica.

1801 Med. & Physical Jrnl. 5 185 The Medical Staff of the Armies acting in the West Indies.

1844 Queen's Regulations & Orders Army 5 Any Officer of the Regimental Staff.

1915 D. Haig Diary 18 Apr. in War Diaries & Lett. 1914–18 (2005) 116 Davies had told me privately that neither he nor his Staff had full confidence in Rawlinson.

1941 E. Snow Scorched Earth ii. iv. 60 The ‘scorched-earth’ policy was credited to General Pai Tsung-hsi, the ablest strategist on Chiang's staff.

2003 D. Lipsky Absolutely Amer. ii. 122 Cadets can also try out for glory positions on regimental or brigade staff.

b. Chiefly with capital initial. Short for staff sergeant n. Frequently as a form of address.

ΘΚΠ

society > armed hostility > warrior > soldier > leader or commander > officer by rank > [noun] > sergeant > types of

havildar1698

muster-master1711

staff sergeant1811

lance-sergeant1815

master sergeant1920

staff1925

1925 E. Fraser & J. Gibbons Soldier & Sailor Words 269 Staff, staff-sergeant.

1943 Yank 8 Oct. 15 If all staffs are as shallow minded as this one, buck privates at the front are worth 10 staffs back home.

1965 ‘J. le Carré’ Looking-glass War xii. 136 ‘You call me “Staff”,’ the instructor said.

1978 J. Barnett Head of Force x. 88 I worked with Staff Gredek... The Staff was in charge of the depot.

2010 R. Stuart Egyptian Escapade xxv. 145 The NCO bristled and said, ‘Don't sir me boy! I am a staff sargeant, Staff Sargeant Evans and don't you forget it.’ Adam nodded enthusiastically and said, ‘Yes Staff!’

22.

a. gen. A group of people who are employed to carry out the work of a particular organization, institution, etc.; the personnel who are charged with assisting a director, executive, etc., in carrying out a specific enterprise or project.

ΘΚΠ

society > occupation and work > worker > workers according to conditions > [noun] > employee > collectively

personal1818

personnel1819

staff1837

stab1864

staff-room1925

staff1955

liveware1966

1837 T. Carlyle French Revol. II. v. v. 309 Subterranean Rivarol has Fifteen Hundred men in King's pay,..what he calls ‘a staff of genius’: Paragraph-writers, Placard-Journalists;..one of the strangest Staffs ever commanded by man.

1848 W. E. Horner Introd. Lect. Anat. Class Univ. Pennsylvania 22 The medical staff consists of one director, one vice-director, twelve principal physicians, [etc.].

1875 J. W. Dawson Life's Dawn on Earth iii. 38 One of the explorers on the staff of the Survey.

1894 A. Conan Doyle Mem. Sherlock Holmes 149 A coachman and two maids form the staff of servants.

1906 Science 14 Sept. 335/2 The principle on which almost all hospitals in this country are run, namely, the selection of local men only to serve on their staffs.

1930 Daily Mail 21 Aug. 10/7 By the end of the year the Midland Bank will have mechanised 120 branches—all with a staff of 15 or more.

1973 Sci. Amer. Oct. 14/2 [He] is referent for pre-history and Near eastern archaeology on the staff of the German Archaeological Institute in Istanbul.

2014 T. Gevinson Rookie Yearbk. 3 Acknowl. 9/1 Thank you to... Our incredible staff of editors, writers, photographers, and illustrators.

b. In singular, with plural agreement. The employees who make up a particular staff or workforce.In later use (chiefly in British usage) often preceded by a number or another modifier indicating the size of the staff; in this use a development from noun phrases in sense 22a in which the size is indicated after of (see, e.g., quot. 1930 at that sense), but later sometimes interpreted as an unchanged plural (cf. sense 24).

1878 M. Arnold in Fortn. Rev. Nov. 593 The teaching staff have to furnish guarantees of their capacity to teach the matters of instruction confided to them.

1933 Sunday Times 21 May 17/7 A man registered yesterday under the name of ‘Mr. Thomas’, and the staff say that he spent the night pacing his room.

1955 Times 10 May 17/4 A continuing supply of higher technical staff.

1970 Daily Tel. 4 May 2/4 A Yorkshire factory with 250 staff, nearly all women.

2009 Independent on Sunday 28 June (New Review) 10/3 Funding is fragile; the tiny team of four full-time staff..depends largely on local benefactors.

2021 R. Clarke Breathtaking v. 109 In the ICU, staff have been told to prepare for a total number of intubated Covid patients at any one time that might reach 150.

23. spec.

a. The people who are employed to work in a place, as opposed to the people with whom they deal, such as customers, patients, etc.; (in British use often) the teachers and other teaching personnel in a school or college, as opposed to the pupils.

1848 Times 6 Mar. 8/3 The staff and pupils of the Polytechnic School.

1936 Devon & Exeter Gaz. 7 Aug. 17 The close personal relationships between staff and patients.

1986 B. Gilroy Frangipani House vi. 24 Both staff and inmates felt release and showed it by discussing the afternoon's happenings.

1988 M. Hocking Irrelevant Woman (1989) vii. 104 At our school there is an undeclared war between staff and pupils.

2021 Nelson (Brit. Columbia) Star (Nexis) 8 Nov. Vaccination is only required for staff, not guests.

b. With reference to various specific subdivisions of the employees of an organization, esp. a business: (a) employees responsible for providing technical and advisory services, as opposed to line managers and their reports (cf. line n.² 19d); (b) employees earning a salary as opposed to being paid a wage (see salary n. 1); (c) ordinary workers, as opposed to management.Only sense 23b(c) is now in common use.

ΘΚΠ

society > occupation and work > worker > workers according to conditions > [noun] > employee > collectively > advisory

staff1915

society > occupation and work > worker > workers according to conditions > [noun] > employee > who receives salary > collectively

staff1915

salariat1918

1914 C. E. Knoeppel in Engin. Mag. (N.Y.) Apr. 66/1 He [sc. the engineer] decides to create an organization to be known as the ‘Staff’—advisory in nature and without jurisdiction over any of the line officials.

1923 O. Sheldon Philos. Managem. iv. 114 A ‘Staff and Line’ organization..is based upon a strict demarcation between thinking and doing; between the actual execution of production, which is the ‘Line’, and the business of analysing, testing, comparing, recording, making researches, co-ordinating information, and advising, which is the ‘Staff’.

1959 Manch. Guardian 24 July 6/6 The salaried staff have bought more shares than the payroll workers.

1980 Daily Tel. 16 Feb. 25/3 Almost all the major companies pay more [in redundancy payments] than the statutory minimum and generally staff will enjoy more generous benefits than shopfloor workers.

1990 Banking World Dec. 19/2 A more open and friendly atmosphere where customers have easier access to staff and management.

2022 Daily Guide Network (Ghana) (Nexis) 10 Feb. This would help restore staff confidence and improve the working relationship between staff and management.

24. As a count noun: an employee of a business, organization, etc.Chiefly in African and Asian varieties of English.

ΘΚΠ

society > occupation and work > worker > workers according to conditions > [noun] > employee

employé1811

workhand1821

employe1835

employee1850

employée1862

permanent1863

staff1931

perm1945

staffer1950

hire1954

1931 E. M. Brent-Dyer Chalet School & Jo xvii. 220 You're almost a Staff, so that'll be all right.

1979 P. Nihalani et al. Indian & Brit. Eng. i. 166 The Director will introduce the new staff and ask him to say a few words.

2020 Daily Independent (Nigeria) (Nexis) 13 Dec. Organisations are either laying off their excess staffs, outsourcing some of their functions or have placed an embargo on the employment of new staffs.

Phrases

P1.

†a. Proverbial phrases and sayings (chiefly in senses 1 and 4). Obsolete.

a1300 in Englische Studien (1900) 31 8 Nim hund to godsep and anne staf in þire hond.

a1350 in G. L. Brook Harley Lyrics (1968) 46 Nou is faren al my feh..a staf ys nou my stede.

1579 W. Fulke Heskins Parl. Repealed in D. Heskins Ouerthrowne 519 These be all as good reasons as y^t comon iest: The staffe standeth in the corner, therefore y^e good man is not at home.

1594 T. Nashe Vnfortunate Traveller sig. C^v I warrant you are made while you liue, you neede not care which waie your staffe falles.

a1633 G. Herbert Outlandish Prov. (1640) sig. A2^v If yee would know a knave, give him a staffe.

a1669 H. Foulis Hist. Romish Treasons (1671) ii. iv. 96 And though the Rule be but obscure, they are apt to take the staff by the wrong end, and apply it to their own pleasures.

b. As the type of something long, thin, straight, or stiff, esp. in similes or comparisons.

ΘΚΠ

the world > life > the body > bodily shape or physique > slim shape or physique > [noun] > thin shape > person having

staffc1405

notomy1487

rakea1529

crag1542

scrag1542

sneakbill1546

starveling1546

slim1548

ghost1590

bald-rib1598

bare-bone1598

bow-case1599

atomy1600

sneaksbill1602

thin-gut1602

anatomya1616

sharg1623

skeleton1630

raw-bone1635

living skeleton1650

strammel1706

scarecrow1711

rickle of bones1729

shargar1754

squeeze-crab1785

rack of bones1804

thread-paper1824

bag of bones1838

dry-bones1845

skinnymalink1870

hairpin1879

slim jim1889

skinny1907

underweight1910

asthenic1925

ectomorph1940

skinny-malinky1957

matchstick1959

c1405 (c1387–95) G. Chaucer Canterbury Tales Prol. (Hengwrt) (2003) l. 594 Ful longe weere hise legges and ful leene Ylik a staf ther was no calf yseene.

1669 A. Browne Ars Pictoria 75 A Dog tyed with a string about his Neck, which seemed to be so stretched, that it was as stiff as a staff, without any bowing.

1880 Idaho Avalanche 17 Jan. She can sit on a bronco as straight as a staff.

1890 J. Curtin Myths & Folk-lore of Ireland 35 He..found a small house, and inside an old woman..and every tooth in her head as long as a staff.

1924 Nottingham Evening Post 22 Jan. 5/3 Mr. Macdonald is sixty-six, tall, and straight as a staff.

2013 J. J. Kripal in A. D. DeConick & G. Adamson Hist. Hidden God (2014) xiii. 238 A special kind of snake is paralyzed by pressing a nerve on the back of its head. It just goes stiff as a staff.

P2. Noun phrases.

(a)

staff of bread now rare (with the) bread (or food generally) considered as a necessity or means of supporting life (cf. sense 3). Chiefly in to break the staff of bread: to diminish or cut off the supply of food. Cf. bread n. 4a.Frequently (now only) with direct biblical reference or allusion. [In to break the staff of bread after post-classical Latin confringere baculum panis (Vulgate: Leviticus 26:26), itself ultimately after Hebrew šāḇar maṭṭēh leḥem; with staff of bread compare also post-classical Latin baculum panis (Vulgate: Ezekiel 4:16, 5:16), virga panis (Vulgate: Hebraic Psalter 104:16 and Ezekiel 14:13). Compare also Dutch staf des broods (1688).]

ΘΠ

the world > food and drink > food > providing or receiving food > supply with food [verb (intransitive)] > supply with provisions > cut off supply

to break the staff of bread1382

a1382 Bible (Wycliffite, E.V.) (Bodl. 959) (1961) Lev. xxvi. 26 After þat y breke þe staaf of ȝoure breede, so þat..ȝe shal ete & not be folfulled.

1596 Bp. W. Barlow tr. L. Lavater Three Christian Serm. i. 121 God in his lawe threatneth that he will breake the staffe of bread, that is, bread shall not nourish them that eate it.

a1631 J. Donne Ess. Divinity (1651) 215 When thou hadst almost broke the staff of bread, and called a famine of thy word almost upon all the world, then thou broughtest me into this Egypt, where thou hadst appointed thy stewards to husband thy blessings, and to feed thy stock.

1660 P. Simon Mensa Mystica Introd. sig. a 2 He is called the Bread of life, which came down from Heaven, as the manna in the wilderness, who is to support our souls, as the staff of bread doth our bodies.

1725 R. Nasmith Treat. upon Entail Covenant of Grace 289 The Person's Souls Life, its dependency on the Death of Christ, as his Natural Life depends on the Staff of Bread.

1836 Westmorland Gaz. & Kendal Advertiser 26 Nov. To introduce..a change..in the condition of those to whom the potato has been the only staff of bread.

1921 Aberdeen Jrnl. 27 July 4/3 Every field where the sheep have fed will soon be full of the edible mushrooms..They come to help stabilise the staff of bread.

1965 E. J. Young Bk. Isaiah (2001) I. 138 If the staff of bread be removed, destruction results.

(b)

staff of life (with the) (originally) bread considered or presented as a mainstay of the diet; (hence) any food presented as a staple in this way; (now also more generally) anything considered as essential or indispensable.

ΘΠ

the world > food and drink > food > qualities of food > [noun] > plain or ordinary food

breadlOE

bread and cheesea1556

staple1970

the world > food and drink > food > dishes and prepared food > bread > [noun]

breadeOE

loafc950

painc1400

pannam1567

the staff of life1638

batch1648

buster1835

rooty1846

breadstuff1856

needle and thread1859

punk1891

1607 R. Wilkinson Merchant Royall 28 Bread is the staffe of life.

1740 W. Seward Jrnl. Voy. from Savannah to Philadelphia 18 Wheat, which is the Staff of Life..is at 1s. 9d. Sterling per Bushel.

1860 All Year Round 3 Mar. 440 Barley bannocks and oat cake long remained the staff of life in villages in Scotland.

1913 Worker (Austral.) 21 Aug. 19/5 The men who make the ‘staff of life’ for the great city of London get 30s. for a 60-hour week.

1940 W. Willkie in East Liverpool (Ohio) Rev. 30 Sept. 3/5 Freedom of the press is the staff of life for any vital democracy.

2008 Science 11 July 184/1 Rice is the staff of life for 3 billion people.

(c)

staff and staple (with the) the most fundamental or basic constituent parts of something; the indispensable or essential elements.

ΘΠ

the mind > attention and judgement > importance > [noun] > that which is important > most important > part

headeOE

main1481

chiefty1552

main1567

principality1567

heart1584

the main of alla1591

main1595

masterpiece1612

stress1633

staple1826

node1860

staff and staple1869

meat1886

crux1888

business end1890

spear-head1929

1850 J. Leech Church-goer 2nd Ser. 119 A class of people who form the ‘staff and staple’ of an English rural population.

1869 Buckle's Hist. Civilisation Eng. (new ed.) II. 171 Events of this sort though neglected by ordinary historians are among the staff and staple of history.

1979 Jrnl. Marital & Family Therapy Oct. 115 Are not emotions the staff and staple of marriage?

2008 J. Steen Verse & Virtuosity iii. 38 How could this highly literary and allusive method of persuasion be turned into the staff and staple of vernacular verse?

b. Staff of Government.

†(a) figurative. The power of the monarch or another recognized authority to rule a nation or territory; (also) a person embodying this. Obsolete.Apparently after Isaiah 3:1–3.In quot. 1741 with reference to the appointment of Captain Greenhalgh as Governor of the Isle of Man by the Earl of Derby in 1640; cf. Phrases 2b(b).

1661 W. Cole Noah's Dove with her Olive-branch 5 Who shall repair the broken staff of Government? The Text answers him in a voice from God, I will restore thy Iudges, as at the first.

1661 J. Caryl Expos. 32nd–34th Chapters Job (xxxiv. 29) 746 He..will take away good Magistrates, who are as a staff and a stay, as a shield and a shelter to a Nation; he will break the stay and staff of Government, as he threatned (Isa. 3.1, 2.)

1696 Direct Road to Peace & Happiness in Church & State 19 Doth not this Popular way of Electing and makeing Clergy-men and Officers, put the Staff of Government out of the King's hand?

1741 J. Seacome Memoirs 91/1 He wou'd be Content to hold the Staff of Government untill I made choice of another.

1869 W. Harrison Mona Misc. 24 The lieutenant-governor [sc. of the Isle of Man], in his civil capacity, is ‘the staff of government’, and as such presides in all the legislative courts.

(b) The court of appeal of the Isle of Man. Originally consisting of the officers of the Lord of Mann (after 1765, the reigning British monarch), esp. the Lieutenant Governor, before becoming a division of the new High Court of Justice of the Isle of Man in 1883. The Lieutenant Governor continued to sit on the court until 1921.In quot. a1700 abbreviated as the Staff.

ΘΚΠ

society > law > administration of justice > judicial body, assembly, or court > [noun] > high court > in Isle of Man

Staff (of Government)a1700

a1700 34th Customary Law in J. Keble Life T. Wilson: Pt. II (1863) xvi. 511 No appeal shall be made from Church censures to the Staff, and none to be privileged from them.]

1702 W. Sacheverell Acct. Isle of Man 86 If any Person is aggriev'd by the Sentence of the Spiritual Court, he may Appeal to the Staff of Government, or the Lord.

1875 Isle of Man Times 3 July 3/7 This is an appeal against a judgment of the Court of the Staff of Government of the Isle of Man.

1947 Jrnl. Compar. Legislation & Internat. Law 29 25 A body of Income Tax Commissioners who shall sit when required to settle assessments, and from whom there shall be a right of appeal to the Staff of Government Division.

2010 Business Wire (Nexis) 29 Apr. On November 28, 2008, the Staff of Government reversed the High Court and ruled that the case should proceed in the Isle of Man.

c. British. Railways. staff and ticket: used as a modifier, designating a system of preventing collisions on a single-track railway line, by which the train driver may be issued with a ticket authorizing the train to travel along the line without carrying the staff (see sense 7m) as long as the signalman at the beginning of the line shows the staff to the driver, the final train in that direction carrying the staff and no train being allowed to travel in the opposite direction until the staff arrives at the other end of the line; frequently in staff and ticket system. Now chiefly historical.This system was introduced in the late 1850s in order to allow multiple trains to pass in one direction at a time, whereas the earlier staff system only allowed a single train at a time. Tickets were often kept in a locked box to which the staff functioned as the key.

ΘΚΠ

society > travel > rail travel > railway system or organization > [noun] > system for use of single track

staff and ticket1887

staff system1887

1861 W. Yolland Let. 9 Nov. in Rep. Inspecting Officers Certain Accidents occurred on Railways Pt. VI (1862) 124/1 in Parl. Papers (H.C. 2922) LIII. 121 The West Midland Railway Company gave a satisfactory undertaking as to the mode of working the traffic, which, I was informed, was to be on the train staff and ticket system.]

1873 Rep. Select Comm. House of Lords Regulation of Railways Bill 51 in Parl. Papers (H.C. 148) XIV. 421 There are really two systems of staff working; one is the staff only, and the other is what is called the staff and ticket system.

1936 Sunday Times 9 Feb. (London Late ed.) 26/5 The present telephonic connections between stations and the ‘staff and ticket’ method of working the line are being retained.

2019 P. Deeves All Aboard! 13/2 To get around this problem, a staff and ticket system was used.

P3. Adverbial phrases.

†a. Scots Law. by staff and baton and variants: a legal formula typically used to resign land or other possessions to a feudal superior. Cf. by the rod. Obsolete.Earliest in the form by staff and baston: see baston n. 2a.

ΘΚΠ

society > law > transfer of property > types of transfer > [phrase] > formula in resigning feu

by staff and baton1499

1384 W. Marschal Let. 8 Nov. in Misc. Sc. Hist. Soc. (1933) V. 33 Richart Jonsoun whilum lard of a quarter of Colstoun..resignit and vp gaf..be staf and bastoun al the rycht that he had or mycht haf of the forsayd quarter of Colstoun.

1385 in W. Fraser Red Bk. Grandtully (1868) I. 139 Syr Robart..throw vertu of the forsayde obligacyoun..vpgefe, wyth staf and styk, to the forsayde John the landys before nemnyt.

c1540 J. Bellenden tr. H. Boece Hyst. & Cron. Scotl. xiv. iii. f. ccv^v/2 Iohne Balliol..resignit all richt & titill..to y^e croun of scotland, be staf and burdoun in king Edwardis handis.

1642 in J. R. N. Macphail Papers Sir William Fraser (1924) 241 Be staff & battoun as use is.

1762 in Minutes of Evid. Nairne Peerage (1873) 92 in Sessional Papers House of Lords (H.L. A) XII. 65 To resign surrender overgive and deliver duely and lawfully by staff and baton as use is all and haill the foresaids parts and portions of his baronies.

1881 J. Russell Haigs of Bemersyde v. 102 The Great Chamberlain..surrendered by staff and baton the estates of the elder Haig of Bemersyde into the hands of the King.

†b. from the staff to the corner (also from the corner to the staff): from one issue or subject to another unrelated one. Obsolete.Used to suggest that a discussion, argument, conclusion, etc., is illogical, spurious, or fallacious. [After post-classical Latin a baculo ad angulum (1535 in Luther), with reference to the phrase baculus stat in angulo ‘the staff stands in the corner’ (c1400 or earlier) used in examples of unsound reasoning in medieval treatises on logic.]

ΘΚΠ

the mind > attention and judgement > testing > debate, disputation, argument > putting forward for discussion > put forward for discussion [verb (intransitive)] > change course

to argue from the staff to the corner1656

1581 J. Bell tr. W. Haddon & J. Foxe Against Jerome Osorius ii. f. 84^v A very new founde and straunge maner of Argument, framed perhappes after the rule which concludeth from the staffe to the corner [L. a baculo ad angulum].

1588 J. Penry Def. Ignorant Ministerie 45 So fit to the purpose, of edification, as the reason from the corner to the staffe, is soundly concluded.

1656 J. Bramhall Replic. to Bishop of Chalcedon ii. 107 This is an argument from the Staffe to the Corner. I speak of a succession of holy Orders, and he of a succession of Opinions.

1682 P. Walsh Reply Person of Quality's Answer 20 Must it not follow therefore, that our Person of Quality's Conclusion is from the Staffe to the Corner (as they say)?

†c. at (the) staff's end and variants: at a distance; in a distant or remote position; esp. (figurative) on distant, remote, or unfriendly terms. Chiefly in to keep (a person) at staff's end; similarly to stand at the staff's end: to remain distant or remote from a person or thing. Cf. at the stave's end at stave n.² Phrases 1. Obsolete.Early examples show the genitive form staves; compare discussion in etymology section.

ΘΚΠ

the world > action or operation > behaviour > bad behaviour > discourtesy > [phrase] > not affable

at (the) staves end (also staff-endc1374

a thumb under the girdle1607

a1450 (c1375) G. Chaucer Anelida & Arcite (Tanner 346) (1878) l. 184 This new lady holdeth vp [c1450 Fairf. 16 him vp] so narow vp bi the brydell atte the staues ende That euery worde he dred hit as an arow.

1546 J. Heywood Dialogue Prouerbes Eng. Tongue i. xi. sig. Eii^v And now without theim, I lyue here at staues ende.

1650 I. Ambrose Ultima 193 (Whosoever they are) that stand at the staffs end, he desires them to lay aside their weapons and come in.

a1780 A. Shirrefs Poems (1790) 215 Fowks that ha'e power to mak' an' men', Sud keep sic lads at the staff-en'.

1880 University Mag. (Dublin) Apr. 466/1 For God's sake keep the donor of your liquid at staff's end; a whole district of hell must have been boiled down to make that bottleful.

1890 W. S. Ross Roses & Rue 29 With quiet dignity, he keeps them at staff's end.

P4. Other phrases.

†a. In various phrases indicating that a person's troubles or misfortunes are a result of their own actions, as to make a staff for one's own head, to make a staff to strike oneself down, to beat oneself with one's own staff. Cf. to make a rod for one's own back at rod n.¹ 1b. Obsolete.Attested earlier with the form staue: cf. stave n.² 2.

ΘΠ

society > authority > punishment > [verb (intransitive)] > bring about punishment for oneself

to make a rod for one's own back (also oneself)a1393

a1400 (a1325) Cursor Mundi (Vesp.) l. 7322 Þat þai desire, þai sal it haue, To þair aun heued a staue.]

?c1450 tr. Bk. Knight of La Tour Landry (1906) 21 And sum saide it hadd be beter for her to holde her pees..and that she had bete her selff with her owne staffe.

?1507 W. Dunbar Tua Mariit Wemen (Rouen) in Poems (1998) I. 51 All thus enforsit he his fa..And maid a stalwart staff to strik him selfe doune.

1618 G. Mynshul Ess. Prison 12 Thou dost..get a staffe to breake thy owne head, and lay a snare which thou thy selfe shalt fall into.

1856 Elgin Courant 5 Sept. 5/1 Many a one makes a staff to break his own head.

†b. to have (also get) the worse end of the staff and variants: to find oneself in a comparatively unfavourable position in a situation, contest, bargain, etc. Similarly, to have (also get) the better end of the staff and variants. Cf. stick n.¹ Phrases 6. Obsolete.

ΘΚΠ

the world > action or operation > prosperity > success > mastery or superiority > have or gain mastery, superiority, or advantage [verb (intransitive)]

risec1175

to have the higher handa1225

to have the besta1393

bettera1400

vaila1400

to win or achieve a checka1400

surmount1400

prevaila1425

to have (also get) the better handa1470

to go away with it1489

to have the besta1500

to have (also get, etc.) the better (or worse) end of the staff1542

to have ita1616

to have (also get) the laugh on one's side1672

top1718

beat1744

to get (also have) the right end of the stick1817

to have the best of1846

to go one better1856

the world > action or operation > harm or detriment > disadvantage > be disadvantageous [verb (intransitive)] > have disadvantage

to have (also get) the worsec1275

to have (also get, etc.) the better (or worse) end of the staff1542

disprofit1561

the worst end of the bargain (also stick, staff, etc.)1564

to have the wrong end of the stick?1793

1534 (?a1500) Weavers' Pageant l. 504 in H. Craig Two Coventry Corpus Christi Plays (1931) 49 He schal be sure..Eyuer the worse yend of the staff to haue.

1635 T. Jackson Humiliation Sonne of God 71 He having gotten (as wee say) the better end of the staffe, did wrest our wills at his pleasure.

1688 J. Bunyan Work of Christ as Advocate 94 I am ashamed my self of mine own doings, and have given mine Enemy the best end of the Staff.

1753 S. Richardson Hist. Sir Charles Grandison II. vii. 113 Miss Byron, I have had the better end of the staff, I believe.

1891 Birmingham Daily Post 14 Apr. 6/6 It appeared to him that they (West Bromwich Council) had the worse end of the staff in that arrangement.

c. to lean on (also trust to) a broken staff and variants: to rely on something which is untrustworthy or not fit for purpose. Later also more generally in metaphors and similes in which a broken staff is taken as the type of something unreliable.Originally with allusion to 2 Kings 18:21 (see quot. 1535) and Isaiah 36:6; cf. broken reed at reed n.¹ 2b.

1535 Bible (Coverdale) 4 (2) Kings xviii. D Beholde, puttest thou thy trust in this broken staffe of rede [L. speras in baculo harundineo atque confracto], in Egipte? which who leaneth vpon, it shall go in to his hande, & pearse it thorow.]

1639 J. Clarke Paroemiologia 128 To trust to a broken staff, or bow, Vallus vitem decipit.

1659 N. R. Proverbs 74 Lean not to a broken staff.

1757 J. Greenhill Serm. preceding Fast-day 12 Thus trusting to Foreigners is but the trusting to a broken Staff, that goes into, and pierces the Hand of those that lean thereon.

1861 Standard 18 Apr. 4/5 The trusted remedy of a property and income tax has proved a broken staff.

2019 Dominion Post (Wellington, N.Z.) (Digital ed.) (Nexis) 5 Apr. Trusting the goodwill of a current government is like leaning on a broken staff.

†d. your (also his, etc.) staff stands next the door and variants: you (he, etc.) will be the next to depart; chiefly figurative and in figurative contexts suggesting the specified person will be next to experience a misfortune. Obsolete.With reference to a staff or walking stick being placed close to a doorway in readiness for a person's departure.

ΘΚΠ

the world > time > frequency > [verb (intransitive)] > it is one's turn next

(one's) staff stands next the door1548

the ball is in a person's court1956

1548 Hall's Vnion: Henry VII f. xiii The Prouerbe that sayth, when thy neighboures house is a fyer, thy staffe standeth nexte the dore.

1576 G. Pettie Petite Pallace 96 Neighbours and freindes if you suffer mee to sustaine this iniury, assure your selues your staffe standeth next to the dore.

1587 W. Harrison Hist. Descr. Iland Brit. (new ed.) ii. iii. 152/2 in Holinshed's Chron. (new ed.) I For when the lands of colleges be gone, it shall be hard to saie, whose staffe shall stand next the doore.

1626 J. E. Winding-sheet 2 Wee haue seene..these younger then our selues goe before on this way, whose staffe standeth next the doore wee know not.

†e. to set down (also up, in) one's staff and variants. Similarly, to fix (also pitch) one's staff. Obsolete.

(a) To remain or stay in (a specified place) for a period of time; to take up residence; to settle down.

ΘΠ

society > inhabiting and dwelling > [verb (intransitive)] > establish residence

wickc897

telda1325

buildc1340

nestlea1382

to take (up) one's inn (or inns)a1400

to hold (also keep, make, take, etc.) one's mansiona1425

to take one's lodgec1475

reside1490

inhabit1548

to settle one's rest1562

to sit down1579

to set up (or in) one's staff (of rest)1584

to set (up) one's rest1590

nest1591

to set down one's rest1591

roost1593

inherit1600

habituate1603

seat1612

to take up (one's) residencea1626

settle1627

pitch1629

fix1638

locate1652

to marry and settle1718

domesticate1768

domiciliate1815

to hang up one's hat1826

domicile1831

to stick one's stakes1872

homestead1877

to put down roots1882

to hang one's hat1904

localize1930

1579 Memoriall of Present Estat Scotl. (Hatfield House CP 11/11) He meanes in short tyme to leive his levinge in ffraunce to his seconnd sonne, and sett downe his staffe in scottland.

?1589 T. Nashe Almond for Parrat sig. F3^v I haue not beene in Essex yet, but Ile set in my staffe there as I go home.

1594 T. Nashe Vnfortunate Traveller sig. D2^v Here I was in good hope to set vp my staffe for some reasonable time.

a1613 T. Bodley Life (1647) 15 I concluded at the last to set up my Staffe at the Library doore in Oxford.

1765 H. Walpole Let. 3 Sept. (1861) IV. 397 The Countesses of Carlisle and Berkeley..will set up their staves there [i.e. in Paris] for some time.

1818 Ld. Byron Let. 3 Mar. (1976) VI. 17 Here have I pitched my staff—& here do I purpose to reside for the remainder of my life.

1830 Fraser's Mag. Dec. 590/1 There he fixed his staff during the remainder of his mortal pilgrimage.

1861 A. Trollope Framley Parsonage III. xlviii. 328 They appeared in London, and there set up their staff.

(b) To come to a conclusion, resolution, etc., on an issue; to adopt a fixed or settled position, opinion, etc. Obsolete.

ΘΚΠ

the mind > will > decision > constancy or steadfastness > be constant or steadfast [verb (intransitive)]

standeOE

cleavec1275

to stand stiffa1290

stick1447

to stand or stick to one's tackling1529

to stand in this1538

to set down (the or one's) staff1584

to stand one's ground1600

to stand to one's pan pudding1647

to maintain one's ground1736

to nail one's colours (also flag) to the mast (also masthead)1808

to stay put1843

to stand firm1856

to sit tight1890

to keep the flag flying1914

to dig in one's toes1933

to hold the line1956

1584 R. Greene Arbasto 29 Setting down the staf therefore on this secure periury thus it fell out.

a1610 J. Healey tr. Epictetus Manuall (1636) 61 But sette downe thy staffe at this, whateuer the end bee, it noway concerneth thee.

1642 D. Rogers Naaman 175 Yet till she rests there, and sets downe her stafe upon the promise, shee shall haue no rest.

1667 O. Heywood Heart-treasure xiv. 165 A sober solid wel-taught Christian hath fixt the Staffe, and you know where to finde him, and he knows where to finde his own Principles.

†f. to break a staff: to fight; esp. to contend with an opponent in single combat. Obsolete (archaic in later use).

ΘΠ

society > armed hostility > armed encounter > contending in battle > contend in battle or give battle [verb (intransitive)]

fightc900

to bid, offer, refuse, accept, take (arch.) battle1297

to do battle1297

to give battle1297

strive13..

battle1330

to instore a battle1382

fettlec1400

pugnec1425

toilc1425

to deliver battle1433

conflict?a1475

bargain1487

mellaya1500

liverc1500

to come out1511

field1535

combat1589

to manage arms1590

sway1590

society > leisure > sport > types of sport or game > fighting sports > jousting or tilting > joust or tilt [verb (intransitive)]

playeOE

bourdisec1320

joustc1330

copec1350

tourney1390

coup?a1400

joustenc1400

to joust of warc1400

to run togetherc1410

bourda1500

to fight at barriers1532

runa1533

to run at (the) tilt1548

jostle1580

tilt1595

to break a treea1600

to run (or ride) a-tilt1608

to run tilt1831

a1593 C. Marlowe Edward II (1594) sig. G4^v The king of England, nor the court of Fraunce, Shall haue me from my gratious mothers side, Till I be strong enough to breake a staffe.

1600 P. Holland tr. Livy Rom. Hist. viii. vii. 285 Wilt thou then..break a staffe with me in the meane time.

1650 A. Bradstreet Tenth Muse 23 She'l ride a Horse as bravely, as the best, And break a staffe, provided't be in jest.

1822 T. L. Peacock Maid Marian xvi. 217 ‘It is Friar Tuck,’ said Marian. ‘He will scarcely know us,’ said Robin; ‘and if he do not, I will break a staff with him for sport.’

1923 V. Starrett Banners in Dawn 26 What joy to break a staff in midnight brawls.

†g. to have (also keep) the staff in one's own hand and variants: to have (or retain) power or authority. Obsolete.

ΘΚΠ

society > authority > [verb (intransitive)] > retain authority

to have the staff in (one's) own hand1828

the mind > possession > retaining > retain or keep [verb (intransitive)] > retain one's property or authority

to have the staff in (one's) own hand1828

1595 A. Golding tr. J. Hurault Politicke, Moral, & Martial Disc. i. xi. 86 Sextus Pompeius who had the staffe in his owne hand, to haue killed Augustus and Antonie, his enemies, delt honorably in letting them goe.

1641 ‘T. Tell-troth’ Charitable Church Warden sig. A2 J thought best now while J had the staffe in my own hand, to make use of time, and get something by my place.

1713 Of Orig. & Ends of Govt. 35 God..will [not] devolved his Right upon any Man to dispose of his Concerns. He holds the Staff in his own Hand.

1852 H. B. Stowe Uncle Tom's Cabin I. xviii. 303 And, of course, they know the staff is in their own hands.

1909 Zion's Herald 19 May 618/2 The salary is fixed by a committee who have the staff in their own hands.

h. British. you can't get the staff these days and variants: used (often humorously or ironically) to indicate something has not been done or maintained properly or that someone's efforts have failed to meet expectations.

1984 Guardian 28 Apr. 10/2 A queue has formed at the ticket office and is beginning to make irritable but British noises like ‘You can't get the staff’ and ‘Personally I blame Ramsay MacDonald’.

2011 A. Harris Miracle on Regent Street xvi ‘No I haven't,’ Carly says, rolling her eyes at me as if to say, ‘You can't get the staff these days.’

2020 @MousecowToday 30 Nov. in twitter.com (accessed 10 June 2022) Mousecow [sc. a pet cat] is having a trying morning as the servants haven't opened the curtains for her. You just can't get the staff nowadays.

2022 @Cunningham_UK 10 June in twitter.com (accessed 10 June 2022) Why was blurring this person's face, and not cropping the image (or taking a better photo) the design choice here? Can't get the staff these days!

Compounds

C1. Compounds relating to senses in branch I.

a. As a modifier.

(a) With participles, agent nouns, and verbal nouns, forming compounds in which staff expresses the object of the underlying verb, as in staff-bearing, staff-wielding (adjectives and nouns); staff-bearer, staff-holder, staff-maker, etc.

in Hist. MSS Comm.: Rep. MSS Corporation of Beverley (1900) 99 in Parl. Papers (Cd. 284) XLVI. 513 String-makers et staf-makers [are to pay 2d. a year].

1553 in A. J. Kempe Losely MSS (1836) 44 Touching the stafmaker..I wyll see hym contented.

1611 R. Cotgrave Dict. French & Eng. Tongues Bastonnier, a staffe-bearer, or Vergier.

1880 L. d'A. Jackson Aid Surv.-pract. 98 The staff-holders must..be capable of holding the staff truly vertical.

1915 Amer. Jrnl. Archaeol. 19 298 Two staff-bearing angels..stand on the mountain.

2002 Globe & Mail (Toronto) (Nexis) 11 June (Review section) 1 A profound respect for the staff-wielding on-screen wizards washes over me.

(b) With the sense ‘on, with, or by means of a staff’, as in staff-mounted, staff-supported, etc., adjectives.Chiefly with past participles.

1815 W. Wordsworth White Doe of Rylstone i. 15 That bearded, staff-supported Sire.

1859 N. Michell Pleasure vi. 199 The staff-propped patriarch haunting green retreats, Smiling at years, and blessing all he meets.

1970 Boating June 70/1 Standard equipment included..a combination port and starboard running light..a staff-mounted 32-point sternlight..and the under-platform dry stowage locker.

2010 D. Pelleck Afghanistan to Zambia 18 [He] was instructed to go to the property to verify the boundaries..with the aid of a forester's chain and a staff-mounted compass.

† staff-acre n. East Anglian Obsolete (probably) a small piece of land, perhaps one enclosed or marked out by a fence; cf. senses 2a, 10.In quot. 1352-3, perhaps used as a measure of land. [Earlier currency is implied by post-classical Latin stafacra (c1170 in a British source).]

a1300 (c1200) Chron. Jocelin of Brakelond 64 Hee sunt ecclesie de maneriis conuentus..medietas ecclesie de Bradefeld in Norfolchia tres marcas: staffacres et foracres, et tercie partes decimarum dominiorum Wrabenesse, vi. marcas.

1352–3 Manorial Documents in Mod. Philol. (1936) 34 57 Item datur messori j acre ordei. Item j stafaker ordei'.

1534–5 in Proc. Suffolk Inst. Archæol., Statistics, & Nat. Hist. (1859) 2 51 [4s. a year] to the crosse berer of the seyd abbot for the staff-acre.

staff angle n. a length of wood (or sometimes metal) fixed vertically along the edge of an exposed or projecting corner of an internal wall to protect or reinforce the plaster; = angle-staff n.; cf. sense 17a.

ΘΚΠ

society > inhabiting and dwelling > inhabited place > a building > furniture and fittings > wallcovering > [noun] > vertical bead on exterior angle

angle bead1799

staff1812

staff-bead1833

staff-angle1875

1842 W. T. Brande Dict. Sci., Lit. & Art 1142/1 Staff angle, in Architecture, a square rod of wood standing flush with the wall on each of its sides, at the external angles of plastering on the inside of apartments, to prevent the angles thereof being broken or damaged.

1975 C. M. Harris Dict. Archit. & Constr. 18/2 Angle staff, staff angle,..a vertical strip of wood or metal at the exterior angle of two plastered surfaces and flush with them; protects the plastering and serves as a guide for floating the plaster.

staff bead n. Joinery a length of wood having a rounded or beaded profile on one edge; a bead moulding of this sort, typically used along the edge of an exposed or projecting corner or fitted around the inner frame of a sliding sash window to hold the sash in place; cf. sense 17a.

ΘΚΠ

society > inhabiting and dwelling > inhabited place > a building > furniture and fittings > wallcovering > [noun] > vertical bead on exterior angle

angle bead1799

staff1812

staff-bead1833

staff-angle1875

1803 T. Sheraton Cabinet Dict. 41 Beads are of three descriptions... The 3d is a staff-bead, used by joiners, which is their common bead plane mentioned above, which they work on both sides of any thing which forms a staff at the corner of posts, &c.

1833 J. C. Loudon Encycl. Cottage Archit. §239 The angles of the chimney breasts to have proper staff beads.

1917 Western Daily Press 15 Oct. (6:30 a.m. ed.) 1/3 (advt.) For sale. Quantity of mouldings, cornice, architrave..sash bars..parting beads, stop beads..staff beads.

2021 Andover (Hampshire) Advertiser (Nexis) 20 Feb. (Planning Notices) Replace sashes/box secs/staff beads to x1 ground flr & x3 first flr windows.

staff-beaded adj. (esp. of a window frame) fitted with a staff bead or staff beads (staff bead n.).

ΚΠ

1823 J. Allen & C. Nichols Building Contract 12th Congregational Church in E. F. Zimmer Archit. Career A. Parris 1780–1852 (Ph.D. diss., Boston Univ.) (1984) App. I. 631 The inside of the sashframe to be grooved for an 1/2 Inch wrought tong.d [sic] and staff beaded lining of Sufficient width to project 1/4 Inch before the Stucco or plastering.

1833 J. C. Loudon Encycl. Cottage Archit. §1598 Fix 1-inch deal tongued and splayed and staff-beaded linings to three windows.

1907 P. N. Hasluck Cassell's Carpentry & Joinery 292/1 On Rod 3,..set out a 4½-in. by 3-in. solid rebated, beaded, and staff-beaded frame fixed in a 14-in. wall.

2013 Clearview North Mar. 68 (advt.) Masterframe will feature a window from a recent contract with a..staff beaded frame (externally).

† staff bismar n. Scottish (Shetland) Obsolete a type of steelyard; cf. bismar n. 1.

ΘΚΠ

the world > relative properties > measurement > measurement by weighing > equipment for weighing > [noun] > a weighing apparatus > steelyard

statera?a1560

pundler1575

Roman balance1585

Roman beam1611

stelleer1611

Venice beam1611

steelyard1639

bismar1701

Roman steelyard1730

staff-bismara1733

weigh-beam1804

a1733 Shetland Acts 31 in Proc. Soc. Antiquaries Scotl. 1891–2 (1892) 26 200 That none use staff bismers, nor any other save such as are adjusted and marked to buy and sell on.

† staff-drive v. Obsolete (transitive) to drive or herd (livestock) on to land, esp. common land, for grazing; to put (livestock) to graze on common land, under the charge of a herder to prevent the animals straying (cf. staff-herd vb.).

ΘΚΠ

the world > food and drink > farming > animal husbandry > sheep-farming > rear sheep or wool [verb (transitive)] > herd > pasture on common or forest

staff-herd1563

staff-drive1566

1540 in T. R. Nash Coll. Hist. Worcs. (1781) I. p. lxxviii That none of the inhabitants of Colwall, or Mathon, do from henceforth staff-drive any kind of their cattle into the chase, further than the shire-ditch, after the old custom, on pain of 20s.

a1634 W. Noy Compl. Lawyer (1651) 40 One may..not staffe-drive their cattle into the others Seignorie or Towneship.

staff head n. the topmost part of a staff or (esp. in senses 1, 4, or 5) a separate piece attached to the upper end of a staff, for example the handle of a walking stick, the metal tip of a weapon, or the decorated end of sceptre, etc.; (also) the top of a tripod used to support a theodolite or other measuring instrument (cf. sense 7f).

ΘΚΠ

the world > space > relative position > support > [noun] > that which supports > something to lean on > staff to lean on > walking stick > upper end of

staff-head1506

the world > the earth > earth sciences > geography > map-making > surveying > [noun] > surveying instruments > part of a surveying instrument > top of tripod

staff-head1766

1506 in J. B. Paul Accts. Treasurer Scotl. (1901) III. 355 To Robert Selkyrk, cultellar, for xij staf hedis.

1682 A. Martindale Countrey-surv.-bk. xviii. 110 I turn about the Table upon the Staff-head, till through the Sights..I see the Angle A.

1730 Magna Britannia V. 45/1 There is a prodigious Trade carry'd on by the Blacksmiths, in working..Squares for Trunks and Coffins, Staff-Heads, Buckles and Nails.

1862 Internat. Exhib.: Illustr. Catal. Industr. Dept. II. xiii. 28/2 (advt.) The tripod and its staff-head.

1888 in Archaeologia 51 373 A staff-head of wood, coloured and gilded.

1923 Daily Tel. 14 Apr. (Late ed.) 7/3 Flags flying at the staff-head.

2006 Jrnl. Afr. Archaeol. 4 62/1 The Ife castings include..the longer staff and the smaller staff head from Ita Yemoo.

staff-herd v. now historical (transitive) to herd (sheep or other livestock) on to land in order to allow them to graze; to put (livestock) to graze, esp. on common land, under the charge of a shepherd or herder to keep them from straying; to graze (land) in this way; (also intransitive) to use this method of grazing livestock; cf. staff-drive vb. [Compare earlier staff-herd (noun) in the senses ‘payment for the right to or duty to graze in a certain way’ (1422 as stashurd (for stafhurd)), ‘herdsman in charge of animals grazing on common land’ (1510 as staf hird in Older Scots, 1530 as staffe herd in a Yorkshire source).]

ΘΚΠ

the world > food and drink > farming > animal husbandry > sheep-farming > rear sheep or wool [verb (transitive)] > herd > pasture on common or forest

staff-herd1563

staff-drive1566

1553 in R. B. Armstrong Hist. Liddesdale (1883) 41 If any inhabitants of either the said realms..depasture and feed with his cattel or sheep, or staffherd the same within the bounds of the other realm.

1563 in W. Nicolson Leges Marchiarum (1705) 138 If it shall happen the Cattel or Sheep of the one Realm to be staff-herded, or to remain depasturing upon the ground of the opposite Realm.

1595 in C. W. Hatfield Hist. Notices Doncaster (1866) I. 168 Doncaster time out of mind have made drives..and staff hearded upon the moor.

1828 W. Carr Dial. Craven (ed. 2) Staff hird, to have sheep under the care of a shepherd.

2000 A. J. L. Winchester Harvest of Hills v. 115/1 Westmorland men were said to have staff herded the moorland boundary between that county and the Yorkshire manor of Hunderthwaite.

staff holster n. a holster or holder worn on the person in which to carry a staff.Chiefly referring to a staff used as a weapon (see senses 4, 5d), but in quot. 1954, one used to carry or support a banner (see sense 2b).

ΘΚΠ

society > armed hostility > military equipment > weapon > club or stick > [noun] > pole or staff > holster for

staffholster1922

1922 J. Joyce Ulysses ii. xv. [Circe] 409 At a corner two night watch in shoulder capes, their hands upon their staffholsters, loom tall.

1954 Washington Post 1 Sept. 20/3 ‘It'll be a toss-up..,’ remarked one standard-bearer as he adjusted his heavy leather staff holster.

2020 O. J. Riley Sand Dunes & Blood Moons (e-book, accessed 14 Apr. 2022) v. 42 His new weapon was secured to his pouch belt and sitting at his lower back under his staff holster.

staff hook n. now chiefly English regional (southern) an agricultural implement consisting of a long handle with a metal hook or blade at one end, used for cutting hedges and other plants that are difficult to reach, or to gather together material which has been cut down.

ΘΚΠ

the world > food and drink > farming > hedging > [noun] > hedging implements

hedge-bill1497

hedging-bill1497

staff-hook?1523

plashing-bill?a1549

plashing-tool?a1549

hack-hook1771

rice knife1858

splasher1868

hedge trimmer1871

splashing-bill1899

the world > food and drink > farming > tools and implements > harvesting equipment > [noun] > reaping tools > sickle > types of

staff-hook?1523

pease-hook1545

brush-scythe1573

grass hook1665

swipe1742

twibill1763

pea-hook1840

swap-hook1863

?1523 J. Fitzherbert Bk. Husbandry f. xvi^v Pees and beanes be..reped or mowen..some with sickels, some with hokes, and some with staffe hokes.

1805 Agric. Mag. Nov. 298 (caption) A Staff Hook used with the Scythe.

1897 H. C. Mercer Tools of Nation Maker 32 The Hainault bare scythe held by a crotch under right arm and worked with one hand, while a staff hook in the left collects the grain.

1989 P. Wyatt Somerset Childhood ii. 19 His tools consisted of a long handled staff hook whose curved blade cut the reed roots and made it easier to flick the reeds onto the bank.

2002 Western Daily Press (Nexis) 14 Aug. (Late City ed.) 9 You wore a leather glove to protect you from the thorns, pressing back the hedge with one hand and swiping along it with the other, using a brace hook or a staff hook.

Staff Land n. now historical (the name of) certain land in the Isle of Man.Staff lands are recorded as having existed in the parishes of Maughold and Patrick; they were once held by lay families who acted as the hereditary custodians of the pastoral staffs of their patron saints (see sense 5b). [Compare post-classical Latin terra de baculo with reference to land in the Isle of Man (1231, in a copy of c1600).]

ΘΚΠ

the world > the earth > named regions of earth > Europe > British Isles > England > [noun] > districts of England > district Isle of Man

staff-land1890

1712 Agreement in G. Bray Rec. Convocation I. (2005) (modernized text) 141 The tenants of the staffland of Kirk Maughold hereafter named.

a1883 R. Sherwood Manx Law Tenures (1899) 16 The Staff Lands consist of a few small parcels in Maughold containing about 200 acres.

1995 N. Mongan Menapia Quest iv. 79 The ‘Staff Lands’ were originally granted to the clan charged with the care of St. Maughold's Staff which was paraded by them in Saints Day processions or at the Tynwald Court (Manx Parliament).

staff moulding n. a moulding taking the form of a long rod or strip with a convex profile, sometimes highly ornamented, frequently used on corners and angles; cf. sense 17.

1671 J. Aubrey Chronologia Architectonica (MS Bodl. Top. Gen. c. 25) f. 179 Chronologicall Architecture 'Twas M^r Hugh May..that brought in the Staffe-moalding on solid right Angles, after the Restauration of ^ye King. The fashion has taken much.

1842 J. C. Loudon 1st Addit. Suppl. Encycl. Cottage Archit. 1247 To put ¾-inch soffits to all the eaves and gable-hangings, with 1½-inch staff-moulding in the angle against the wall.

1924 Sierra Madre (Calif.) News 26 Dec. 1/3 The plastering..is set off beautifully by a wide staff moulding around the ceiling.

1987 J. S. Kerr Admiralty House 46 The officer's bedroom retained and still retains most of its original plaster, a staff moulding and the original architecture.

† staffshide n. Obsolete a stick or piece of wood used for firewood or kindling; cf. shide n.

ΘΚΠ

society > occupation and work > materials > fuel > wood as fuel > [noun] > cut to a certain size

wood-tale1235

tosard1336

talwood1350

staff-shide1411

billetc1440

talshide1444

cord-wood1638

1411 Rolls of Parl.: Henry IV (Electronic ed.) Parl. Nov. 1411 §47. m. 2 Tout le maresme et fuaile, autrement appelle staffeshides et kides.

† staffstriker n. Obsolete an itinerant beggar; a vagrant.

ΘΚΠ

the mind > possession > poverty > mendicancy > [noun] > beggar > sturdy beggar

truantc1290

staff-striker1376

valiant beggar?1530

sturdy beggara1538

hallan-shaker1568

1376 Rolls of Parl.: Edward III (Electronic ed.) Parl. Apr. 1376 §117. m. 15 Et plusours de eux devenent stafstrikers.

1468 Maldon (Essex) Liber B f. 12^v To punysh alle maner of noughty brauleres and bryboures, Nyghtwalkeres, stastrykeres [perhaps read stafstrykeres], and evesedropperes.

staff system n. Railways (now chiefly historical) a system used as a means of preventing collisions on single-track railway lines by which a rod or baton is given to the train driver as authority to travel over particular section of track, the existence of a single staff for that section ensuring that there can only be a train travelling in one direction at any given time; cf. sense 7m.

ΘΚΠ

society > travel > rail travel > railway system or organization > [noun] > system for use of single track

staff and ticket1887

staff system1887

1853 Jackson's Oxf. Jrnl. 5 Mar. The ‘red staff’ system is now adopted between Bicester and Winslow, and must certainly be a great security against collisions.]

1871 Engineering 29 Dec. 420/2 The line is worked on the ‘staff’ system, assisted by telegraph.

1966 K. Möller Amer. & Brit. Railway Eng. 39 The..staff system is still in use in Britain; every engine running over a certain section of a line must carry the corresponding token or staff.

2009 J. T. Gaertner Duluth, South Shore & Atlantic Railway ix. 178 The new main line went into service on July 26, 1910... This brought an end to the staff system between Negaunee and Eagle Mills.

staff ticket n. Railways (now chiefly historical) a ticket issued to a driver on a single-track railway line, authorizing the train to travel along the line without carrying the train staff (see sense 7m and staff and ticket at Phrases 2c for further details).

ΘΚΠ

society > travel > rail travel > railway system or organization > [noun] > system for use of single track > token or staff

train ticket1841

train staff1853

staff1885

staff ticket1885

tablet1885

token1936

1858 H. P. Bruyeres Let. Sept. in Rep. Proc. Dept. Railways 1858 (1859) 35/1 in Parl. Papers XXVII. 637 The train staff tickets are to be kept in a box fastened by an inside spring.]

1873 Argus (Melbourne) 18 Dec. 5/2 The following are the staff stations at which the staff or staff ticket must be received before a train can start, or be delivered up on arrival.

1885 E. B. Ivatts Railway Managem. at Stations 559 Two or three trains may be passed forward by ‘staff ticket’ in this way, but ultimately either a train, an engine, or a messenger must convey the staff to enable trains being sent in the opposite direction.

2010 A. Vaughan Faringdon Branch & Uffington Station (rev. ed.) v. 55 The Staff Tickets on the Faringdon branch were pieces of buff-coloured card..and carried the words, ‘To the driver of —— train. You are authorised to proceed to Faringdon..and the Train Staff will follow’.

staff torch n. historical after 17th cent. a very tall, thick candle typically carried in processions or used for other ceremonial purposes; cf. sense 7a.

ΘΚΠ

the world > matter > light > artificial light > an artificial light > candle > [noun] > used at specific times or in certain places

soul candle1389

sizea1483

staff-torch1532

death candle1808

yahrzeit candle1906

1532–3 in H. Littlehales Medieval Rec. London City Church (1905) 361 Item, paid for iij staf torches of wex, to hold at the levacion ijs vjd.

1580–1 Act 23 Eliz. c. 8 §3 Wares wrought with Waxe, as in Lightes, Staftorches.

a1652 R. Brome City Wit v. sig. F 4 in Five New Playes (1653) All ready..to weare a red Cap, and a blew Gown; comely to carry a Staff-torch before my Lord Mayor upon Alhalloune night.

1887 J. Morris Venerable Sir Adrian Fortescue 11 A new coffin was made, and a horse litter to carry it... There were twelve staff torches of wax, and six torch-bearers all the way.

2017 L. Branch Faith & Fraternity v. 196 At his burial he still requested staff torches but no additional lights.

staff tree n. †(a) a small evergreen tree (possibly a phillyrea) described as having wood fit for making staffs (obsolete); (b) any plant of (or formerly included in) the genus Celastrus (family Celastraceae), comprising climbing shrubs mostly native to warm and tropical regions of the Americas, Asia, and Australia; esp. the North American species Celastrus scandens; = staff vine n.Now chiefly in lists of alternative names for these plants.

ΘΚΠ

the world > plants > particular plants > plants and herbs > climbing or creeping plants > non-British climbing or creeping plants > [noun] > North American

woodbine1624

Virginia vine1629

staff-tree1633

Virginia creeper?1703

climbing vine1760

mayflower1778

pepper vine1783

arbutus1785

trailing arbutus1785

pipe vine1803

Ampelopsis1805

ground-laurel1814

waxwork1818

ivory plum1828

fever twig1830

yerba buena1847

mountain pink1850

New England mayflower1855

creeping snowberry1856

Virginian creeper1856

May blossom1871

sand verbena1880

staff-vine1884

the world > plants > particular plants > plants and herbs > climbing or creeping plants > non-British climbing or creeping plants > [noun] > other non-British climbing plants

bull-hoof1756

Russian vine1840

1633 T. Johnson Gerard's Herball (new ed.) App. 1600 (caption) Celastrus Theophrasti. The staffe tree.

1764 W. Burchell Catal. Trees, Shrubs, Plants, & Flowers 12 The climbing Staff-tree or Bastard Spindle-tree.

1824 J. C. Loudon Green-house Compan. ii. 83 Celastrus Pyracanthus, pyracantha-leaved Staff-tree, a low tree also from the Cape.

1941 Amer. Naturalist 41 393 The bark of the Staff-tree..contains a larger quantity of mannan than does the wood proper.

2007 L. S. Nelson et al. Handbk. Poisonous & Injurious Plants (ed. 2) 116 Celastrus scandens: American Bittersweet, Bittersweet.., Staff Tree, Staff Vine.

staff vine n. any plant of the genus Celastrus (family Celastraceae), comprising climbing shrubs mostly native to warm and tropical regions of the Americas, Asia, and Australia; esp. the North American species Celastrus scandens; cf. earlier staff tree n.Also called bittersweet (cf. bittersweet n. 4b).

ΘΚΠ

the world > plants > particular plants > plants and herbs > climbing or creeping plants > non-British climbing or creeping plants > [noun] > North American

woodbine1624

Virginia vine1629

staff-tree1633

Virginia creeper?1703

climbing vine1760

mayflower1778

pepper vine1783

arbutus1785

trailing arbutus1785

pipe vine1803

Ampelopsis1805

ground-laurel1814

waxwork1818

ivory plum1828

fever twig1830

yerba buena1847

mountain pink1850

New England mayflower1855

creeping snowberry1856

Virginian creeper1856

May blossom1871

sand verbena1880

staff-vine1884

the world > plants > particular plants > plants and herbs > climbing or creeping plants > non-British climbing or creeping plants > [noun] > other non-British climbing plants

bull-hoof1756

Russian vine1840

1830 C. S. Rafinesque Med. Flora U.S. II. 206 Celastrus scandens, L. Fevertwig, Staff vine, Bittersweet.

1910 A. Lounsberry Gardens near Sea viii. 93 Near many seaside gardens, the American bittersweet, or staff vine, Celastrus scandens, can be used to cover rough roadside walls.

1995 A. Shackleton tr. K. Jacobi Shrubs 87/3 Some plants such as Chinese wisteria (Wisteria sinensis) and staff vine (Celastrus) will only flower on older wood.

2008 P. Rowland Bowerbirds v. 66 The Regent Bowerbird feeds mainly on the fruits of native plants, including..Large Staff Vine (Celastrus subspicata).

staff weapon n. now chiefly historical a thrusting or cutting weapon consisting of a long (typically wooden) shaft with a point or blade at one end; a polearm; cf. sense 4c.

ΘΚΠ

society > armed hostility > military equipment > weapon > sharp weapon > spear or lance > [noun]

spearc725

ordeOE

spriteOE

wal-speara1000

gareOE

shaftc1000

staffc1275

glaive1297

lancegayc1386

gad1422

burdounc1440

Jedburgh (Jedworth, Jedwood etc.) staff1515

puncheon pole1548

puncheon spear1548

puncheon staff1548

punching staff1562

prag1582

sarissa1736

staff weapon1788

windlestraw1831

1605 in R. Brown Hist. Paisley (1886) I. xii. 204 Confesset the striking of the said George Ramsay with ane stalf wepoun.

1788 J. C. Walker Hist. Ess. Dress Irish 127 Having thus returned..to the Staff-weapons.

1819 W. Scott Legend of Montrose xiii, in Tales of my Landlord 3rd Ser. IV. 280 Partizan, halbert, Lochaber-axe, or any other modern staff-weapon.

1917 Times 15 Feb. 11/5 Here are shown staff weapons, crossbows, axes, maces, and the great lance of Charles Brandon.

2013 G. Foard & A. Curry Bosworth 1485 ii. 40/1 The men-at-arms would be fully armed with swords, daggers and a range of staff weapons of superior quality and effectiveness.

C2. Compounds relating to senses in branch II.

staff notation n. Music musical notation in which position on the staff or stave (see sense 20) is used to indicate the pitch of notes, especially as distinct from Tonic sol-fa.

1849 Westm. & Foreign Q. Rev. Jan. 489 The existing staff notation may however be greatly simplified.

1881 J. Broadhouse Student's Helmholtz 365 The ordinary musical notation, or, as it is called, the ‘staff notation’.

2004 T. Smith Let Church Sing! p. xii Some standard ethnomusicological modifications have been made to Western staff notation.

† staffrew n. [ < staff n.¹ + rew n.¹; compare Old Icelandic stafróf alphabet (literally ‘staff-row’; see reeve n.¹), and compare also staverow n. at stave n.² Compounds 2] Obsolete (a) the alphabet; (b) a line of writing.

ΘΚΠ

society > communication > writing > system of writing > alphabet > [noun]

staff-rewOE

abecedariumOE

ABCc1325

alphabet?a1475

character1569

abecedary1596

one's P's and Q's1763

characteristic1769

staverow1866

society > communication > book > matter of book > [noun] > a line in a book

lineOE

rewOE

staff-rewOE

rowc1450

OE Seven Sleepers (Julius) (1994) 55 Þærinne funde [he] ane leadene tabulan eall awritene, and þa hi..rædde. Þa com he to þære stæfræwe þær he þæt word funde awriten.

OE tr. Bede Eccl. Hist. (Otho) v. Concl. 484 Boc de orthographia mid stæfræwe [OE Cambr. Univ. Libr. stæfenroph] endebyrdnesse tosceadene [L. alfabeti ordine distinctum].

C3. Military. In sense 21.

a. As a modifier, with the sense ‘of or belonging to a military staff’ (see sense 21), as in staff appointment, staff car, staff duty, staff job, etc. See also staff officer n.Also in extended use in naval contexts (originally British Navy), designating certain senior officers in specialist technical roles: see staff captain n., staff commander n., staff surgeon n.

ΘΚΠ

society > armed hostility > hostilities at sea > seafaring warrior or naval man > leader or commander > [adjective] > senior officer

staff1867

society > travel > travel by water > one who travels by water or sea > sailor > [adjective] > of senior grade

staff1867

1784 Kentish Gaz. 13 Nov. Some books respecting the Staff appointment of the Colonel were sent for, and the Court waited for them a considerable time.

1875 Encycl. Brit. II. 577/2 Staff appointments are held for five years only.

1909 Blackwood's Mag. Apr. 568/2 The adjutant inspected the Staff parade.

1913 R. Meinertzhagen Diary 19 Dec. (1960) 57 I expected a better groundwork in staff duties.

a1944 K. Douglas Alamein to Zem Zem (1946) i. 11 A few staff and liaison officers in jeeps and staff cars still passed.

1978 R. V. Jones Most Secret War xix. 155 Scott-Farnie himself would be going and would have a staff car.

2014 Squadron Buzz (Fleet Air Arm Squadron) No. 67. 10 I was lucky enough to get promoted from the pilots' appointer job..and moved through various staff jobs.

staff cap n. a cap with a wide, flat top and a peak, typically worn as part of military uniform.

ΘΚΠ

the world > textiles and clothing > clothing > types or styles of clothing > headgear > [noun] > cap > types of > peaked > types of

tiar1513

tiara1555

jockey-cap1748

Mary Queen of Scots cap1813

baseball cap1865

baseball hat1867

cheese-cutter1870

fore and aft1888

staff cap1902

Mao cap1967

1847 E. Napier Reminisc. Syria & Holy Land (new ed.) II. xi. 258 Admiring the rest of the uniform.., but particularly the staff cap and feather.

1902 Westm. Gaz. 16 June 8/2 His Majesty,..with hand raised to staff-cap, in military salute.

1984 W. D. Whitaker & S. Whitaker Tug of War xv. 329 I remember Hess was wearing a staff cap which he always wore, the ordinary officer's cap.

staff college n. an institution at which officers are trained for staff appointments.

ΘΚΠ

society > armed hostility > drill or training > [noun] > place for training > college for officers

military academy1756

military college1801

staff college1868

war college1894

1831 Foreign Q. Rev. Apr. 335 At seven he received the officers and students of the staff college, and questioned them one by one on their studies.

1911 W. S. Churchill in R. S. Churchill Winston S. Churchill (1969) II. Compan. ii. xvi. 1283 You are authorized to apply to the War Office for the services of 25 Staff College Officers.

2022 Herald (Harare) (Nexis) 27 May She joined the logistics corps and completed the Junior Staff Course at the Zimbabwe Staff College.

staff commander n. British Navy (now historical) (a title for) a senior navigating officer; cf. staff captain n.The title was introduced in 1863. The use in quot. 1860 is by a writer anticipating this change.

1860 Hampshire Advertiser 24 Nov. 8/1 Staff commanders might be employed in line-of-battle ships, which would give an increased employment to a class who find a difficulty in getting on active service.

1863 Times 15 Aug. 7/5 They were escorted round by her Staff-Commander Renaud.

1875 F. G. D. Bedford Sailor's Pocket Bk. (ed. 2) v. 150 (note) Staff-Commander Thomas A. Hull, R.N.

2004 D. Blackmore Blunders & Disasters at Sea 85 On Admiral Wellesley's orders, Staff Commander Kiddle laid off a course to take the Minotaur division safely clear of the only offshore hazards on the route, Carnero Point and Pearl Rock.

staff ride n. a training exercise, originally undertaken on horseback, in which staff officers carry out reconnaissance and analysis of the terrain of strategically important positions, potential battlefields, etc., as an aid to planning; (later also) a similar exercise in which officers review the development and outcome of a past battle by visiting the battlefield and replaying and reconsidering the major decisions and events in situ.Exercises of the first kind were originally conducted by the Prussian General Staff in the late 19th cent., and are particularly associated with the innovations of Helmuth von Moltke (1800–91) as chief of that staff. Exercises of the later kind are associated with the United States Army Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. [Compare German Stabsreise (1876 or earlier); also Generalstabsreise (1858 or earlier).]

ΚΠ

1897 Pall Mall Gaz. 29 Mar. (4th ed.) 8/3 Lord Roberts and Lord Frankfort de Montmorency initiated some spring military manœuvres last week in the shape of staff rides between Dublin and several points on the River Boyne. The results were very satisfactory.

1930 Brit. Med. Jrnl. 8 Mar. 474/2 The papers and appreciations that he wrote after a staff ride or field exercise were masterpieces, and were sometimes sent to the War Office.

2011 Wall St. Jrnl. 2 Apr. c3/1 For nearly 20 years, I've led and participated in Civil War ‘staff rides’, more than 50 of them at Gettysburg.

2017 J. A. Dredger Tactics & Procurem. in Habsburg Mil., 1866–1918 iii. 79 Albrecht and Beck realized the need to train more intelligent officers, especially in the general staff, with better practical application of knowledge through staff rides and realistic maneuvers.

staff rider n. an officer taking part in a staff ride.

1906 Manch. Guardian 20 Aug. (Morning Express ed.) 10/1 It is only three years since the Motor Volunteer Corps was established... It saved the War Office a considerable amount of money during manœuvres and on staff riders.

2001 Army Hist. No. 51. 16/2 The staff riders split into two platoons, one led by Major Fleek and the other by Captain Melnyk.

staff surgeon n. (in the army) a surgeon on the staff on a particular regiment, division, etc.; (in the navy) a senior surgeon; cf. Compounds 3a.

1775 R. Ingram Let. in St. James's Chron. 16–19 Dec. Mr. Adair very justly for that disagreeable Employ chose the junior Staff Surgeons.

1789 London Med. Jrnl. 10 110 Dominicus Spedicati, M. D. Staff-Surgeon of the Fleet.

1803 Duke of Wellington Dispatches (1844) I. 539 Mr. Gilmour, the Staff surgeon with this division of the army.

1959 Times 4 Mar. 14/7 He was promoted to the rank of Staff Surgeon in 1909.

2022 menafn.com (Nexis) 16 May [He] served in a variety of military positions since 1990, including as a staff surgeon and medical director of the Surgical Critical Care Service in Texas.

staff wallah n. [compare wallah n. 3] slang a staff officer; (more generally) any army officer not involved in active combat.

ΘΚΠ

society > armed hostility > warrior > soldier > leader or commander > officer or soldier of rank > [noun] > staff officer

staff officer1780

red hat1916

staff-wallah1951

1915 St. George's Gaz. 30 Oct. 198/2 Our late Commanding Officer, Maj. H. R. Sandilands, has left us to become a ‘Staff Wallah’.

1951 R. Campbell Light on Dark Horse xi. 145 A family connection who was only a staff-wallah, and jealous of my being a soldier.

2003 A. O. Mitha Unlikely Beginnings xii. 154 You Staff wallahs ask for information and never realize how difficult it is to gather it.

C4. As a modifier, in sense 22.

(a) Designating a person who is employed in the specified role on the staff of an organization, institution, etc., esp. a newspaper, news agency, broadcaster, etc., as in staff correspondent, staff journalist, staff reporter, etc. See also staff photographer n., staff writer n.

ΚΠ

1859 Chester Chron. 26 Feb. 7/1 The salaries and wages of the staff porters.

1878 Galveston (Texas) Daily News 23 Apr. The Charleston (S. C.) News and Courier sent a staff reporter.

1902 Daily Chron. 13 May 10/7 Woman (Strong, active) as staff maid... Apply Housekeeper, Hotel Windsor.

1924 Western Daily Press (Bristol) 28 June 10/4 Commencing with the career of the staff journalist, Mr Joseph tells us what he has to expect and how he may hope to make good.

1984 V. S. Naipaul Finding Centre ii. 34 He had become the Guardian staff correspondent in the little market town of Chaguanas.

2013 Church Times 8 Nov. 9/1 The evangelist Dr Billy Graham released what is expected to be his last video-message yesterday on his 95th birthday, writes a staff reporter.

(b) With the sense ‘of, relating to, or for the use of the staff of an organization, workplace, etc.’, as staff canteen, staff morale, staff shortage, staff training, etc.

1888 Pall Mall Gaz. 10 Aug. (4th ed.) 8/2 There are further recommendations as to school management, the inspection of schools, teachers, and staff training colleges.

1940 R. S. Lambert Ariel & all his Quality i. 33 He fought shy of..social gatherings, except for appearances at occasional staff dances.

1960 H. J. Klare Anat. of Prison xxi. 128 Since there is comparatively little staff training, group counsellors may not always utilize the potentialities of the group fully.

1972 K. Benton Spy in Chancery xvii. 192 She probably had lunch there. There's a staff canteen.

1993 C. MacDougall Lights Below 146 ‘We're running a bit late,’ the woman said. ‘Staff shortages, I'm afraid.’

1998 New Scientist 8 Aug. 92/2 Staff morale's at rock bottom.

2002 D. Goleman et al. Business: Ultimate Resource 531/1 You can use a staff handbook for other company policies and documents such as a disciplinary procedure.

2020 C. Atkins Bit of Stretch vii. 193 The monthly lockdown for staff training is swiftly approaching.

(c) With past participles, with the sense ‘by the staff of an organization, workplace, etc.’, as in staff-led, staff-owned, staff-run, etc., adjectives.

1933 Montana Standard (Butte) 11 July 4/2 It is making use of contributed and staff-written articles.

1966 Daily Tel. 12 Aug. 7/2 (advt.) We are a staff-owned company.

1978 AAUP Bull. 64 102/1 The University's Board of Trustees has declined to approve a staff-recommended resolution of the issue.

2010 Plymouth Herald (Nexis) 19 Oct. 8 They also gave a 15-minute presentation on plans to transfer management of community health services to a staff-run company.

2015 Calgary Herald (Nexis) 15 Dec. a2 It was an amazing, staff-led program.

staff association n. a group formed by the employees of a company, institution, etc., to provide support to its members and represent their interests in discussions with management.

ΘΠ

society > occupation and work > working > association of employers or employees > [noun]

combination1795

social partner1946

1861 Norfolk News 16 Feb. 5/2 Mr. Dye gave some information respecting the Sol Fa staff Association.

1968 Times 2 Feb. 21/6 But it is the growth of staff associations that is providing the ‘touch paper’ in a delicate situation.

2021 N.Y. Times (Nexis) 12 Mar. a18 She stressed that she was acting on behalf of the staff association, not the congressman. ‘This is honestly the closest thing we've got to a union’.

staff meeting n. a meeting for the employees of an organization or institution; spec. a meeting of the teaching staff of a school.

1867 Western Daily Press (Bristol) 19 Mar. Mr Coe had said that he declined to attend a staff meeting.

1959 New Statesman 21 Feb. 259/3 Hours are wasted each week in administrative, non-teaching duties such as special staff meetings, frequent house meetings, tutorial group meetings.

1999 Vanity Fair Jan. 123/2 Its staff settled into a routine of..endless staff meetings.

2022 Lake Country Cal. (Winfield, Brit. Columbia) (Nexis) 13 Jan. a3 Schools opened this week with ‘re-enforced’ safety measures,..shifting to virtual assemblies and staff meetings.

staff member n. an employee on the staff of an organization, institution, etc.

1879 Times (Philadelphia) 20 Oct. The other staff members present were one of Governor Jarvis' men and one of Governor Andrews'.

1931 Smith Coll. Stud. Soc. Work 1 407 Thirty-five cases of rejection were chosen in which staff members unanimously agreed to that diagnosis.

1970 Winnipeg (Manitoba) Free Press 26 Oct. 7/2 Montreal police sexually harassed in a most vulgar way a female staff member.

2020 New Yorker 22 June 63/3 She said that new staff members quickly ‘built up a brick wall’ in order to assimilate to the culture.

staff photographer n. a photographer on the staff of a newspaper, news agency, or periodical.

ΘΚΠ

society > communication > journalism > journalist > [noun] > press photographer

press photographer1901

staff photographer1941

monkey1983

society > leisure > the arts > visual arts > photography > photographer > [noun] > professional

cameraman1883

press photographer1901

photojournalist1938

staff photographer1941

lensman1951

paparazzo1961

paparazzi1981

pap1988

1890 Columbus (Georgia) Enquirer-Sun 6 Mar. The third issue of ‘The Illustrated American’..will contain..realistic scenes taken by their own special staff photographer at Joliet, Ill.

1941 Times (Weekly ed.) 30 July 6/4 This special study was taken in the garden of 10, Downing Street by a staff photographer.

2014 Vanity Fair Nov. 98/1 A gorgeous portrait by staff photographer Justin Bishop.

staff writer n. a writer employed on the staff of a newspaper, periodical, broadcaster, etc. [Compare Old English stæfwrītere grammarian (compare sense 18a).]

ΘΚΠ

society > communication > journalism > journalist > [noun] > staff writer

staff writer1914

staffer1949

society > leisure > the arts > literature > writer or author > [noun] > writer employed on staff

staff writer1914

1858 Wrexham & Denbighshire Advertiser 11 Dec. Mr Lowe..is known to be one of the staff writers of the Times newspaper.

1941 W. Abbot Handbk. Broadcasting (ed. 2) xxvi. 322 Staff writers prepare commercial continuity, talks, announcements, interviews, special-occasion scripts, original plays, adaptations, and often station publicity.

2000 Observer 18 June (Review section) 5/6 A former staff writer for the Village Voice, George was the first writer to document the growth of the fledgling rap biosphere in The Bronx.

This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, December 2022).

单词	staff
释义	staffn.¹ Brit. /stɑːf/, /staf/, U.S. /stæf/ Inflections: Plural staffs Brit. /stɑːfs/, /stafs/, U.S. /stæfs/, (in branches I. and II.) staves Brit. /steɪvz/, U.S. /steɪvz/. Forms: Singular. α. early Old English stab- (in compounds), early Old English staeb, early Old English stæb, Old English staf- (inflected form), Old English steb (chiefly early), Old English–early Middle English (chiefly south-west midlands) stæf, Old English (rare)–early Middle English (south-west midlands) steaf, Old English (rare)–early Middle English (chiefly south-west midlands) stef, Middle English staaf, Middle English–1600s staf, Middle English–1600s (1800s English regional) stafe, Middle English–1700s (1800s archaic) staffe, Middle English– staff, late Middle English sta- (in compounds), late Middle English stafte (transmission error), 1500s stayffe; Scottish pre-1700 staf, pre-1700 staffe, pre-1700 staif, pre-1700 staiff, pre-1700 staiffe, pre-1700 stalf, pre-1700 stalfe, pre-1700 stalff, pre-1700 stauf, pre-1700 stauff, pre-1700 stauft, pre-1700 staulff, pre-1700 1700s stafe, pre-1700 1700s– staff, 1800s stawf; N.E.D. (1915) also records a form Scottish pre-1700 stafte. β. early Middle English stæue (south-west midlands, inflected form), early Middle English steaue (south-west midlands, inflected form), Middle English stavfe (inflected form), Middle English–1600s stau- (inflected form), Middle English–1600s stav- (inflected form); Scottish pre-1700 stave's (genitive), 1800s stauv. Plural. α. Old English stafas, early Middle English stafen (probably dative), early Middle English stafess ( Ormulum), early Middle English stauen (south-west midlands), Middle English stafes, Middle English staffys, Middle English staffz, Middle English stafis, Middle English 1600s stafs, Middle English–1600s staffes, 1600s– staffs; Scottish pre-1700 staeffis, pre-1700 stafes, pre-1700 staffas, pre-1700 staffeis, pre-1700 staffes, pre-1700 staffis, pre-1700 stafis, pre-1700 stafys, pre-1700 staifes, pre-1700 staiffis, pre-1700 stalfes, pre-1700 stalffes, pre-1700 stalffis, pre-1700 stalffs, pre-1700 stalfis, pre-1700 staufis, pre-1700 staulffis, pre-1700 1700s– staffs. β. late Old English stauas, Middle English staue, Middle English stauenes (perhaps transmission error), Middle English stavis, Middle English steues (south-eastern), Middle English–1500s stauis, Middle English–1500s stauys, Middle English–1500s stavys, Middle English–1600s staues, Middle English– staves, late Middle English stoves, 1500s stavez; Scottish pre-1700 stalves, pre-1700 stalvis, pre-1700 staues, pre-1700 stauys, pre-1700 stavis, pre-1700 stawes, pre-1700 stawis, pre-1700 stowis, pre-1700 1700s– staves, 1900s– staaves. Origin: A word inherited from Germanic. Etymology: Cognate with Old Frisian stef (West Frisian stēf (plural stēven )), Old Dutch staf (in compounds; Middle Dutch staf (plural stāve , stēve ), Dutch staf (plural staven )), Old Saxon staf (Middle Low German staf (plural stēve )), Old High German stab , stap (Middle High German stab , stap (plural stābe , stēbe ), German Stab ), early Scandinavian (runic) staba (accusative plural), Old Icelandic stafr (plural stafir , in early sources also stafar ), Old Swedish staver (Swedish stav , †staaf , †staf ), Old Danish staf , staff (Danish stav (plural stave )), and (with different stem class) Gothic stabim (dative plural), found in a range of senses, broadly ‘rod, stick, beating stick, stick for driving or herding animals, club, polearm, pole, post, strut, prop, implement or component consisting of or resembling a rod or stick’ (in some languages in later use also ‘rod-shaped bacteria’: compare rod n.¹ 12), ‘gnomon of a sundial, plank, shaped length of wood used to make a barrel, magic wand, walking stick, pilgrim's staff, shepherd's staff, bishop's staff, royal sceptre, judge's staff, staff as symbol of civil or military office or authority’, (by extension) ‘civil or military office or authority’, (in later use: compare note below) ‘group of people in the position of authority, officers in command of a military unit or army, group of employees, employees collectively’, (chiefly early: compare note below) ‘written character, letter’, in early Scandinavian and Old Icelandic also ‘rune’, in Old Icelandic also ‘alliterating sound’ (see discussion at stave n.²), (in plural) ‘lore’, in Old Icelandic and Old Swedish also ‘boundary marker’, in Old Frisian also ‘oath’, in Middle High German also ‘scabbard, pipe’, in German also ‘penis’, in Dutch also ‘stalk’, further origin uncertain; perhaps < the same Indo-European base as Old Prussian stabis stone, Lithuanian stabas idol, palsy, tetanus, Latvian stabs post, pillar, (with a suffix) Old Russian stoborie row of poles (see further below). Compare stave n.², stave v.Further etymology. It has been suggested that the Germanic word is also cognate with ancient Greek σταφυλή bunch of grapes (see staphyle n.), Early Irish sab shaft, pole, and (with nasal infix) Sanskrit stambha- post, pillar, trunk, ancient Greek στέμφυλον mass of squeezed olives or grapes, but the connections between all of those words are uncertain, and alternative etymologies have been offered for each of them. Form history and the relationship with stave n.² In Old English, the word usually inflects as a strong masculine (regular plural forms: nominative and accusative stafas , genitive stafa , dative stafum ); a weak genitive plural stafena is occasionally attested. The stem-final inherited voiced fricative was devoiced word-finally in Old English, but voicing was preserved before the vowel of the inflectional endings (although the consonant is spelt f in both positions; in early use also b ). In Middle English the variation between f in uninflected and v in inflected forms (although occasionally subject to analogical levelling in either direction) is reflected in spelling (compare similarly life n., wife n., etc.). The disyllabic inflected forms (singular and plural) also frequently showed lengthening of the stem vowel in the open syllable, reflected in the present-day plural staves /steɪvz/. Starting in the beginning of the 17th cent. (with occasional examples attested already in the late 16th), a new singular stave was formed analogically from the plural staves (see stave n.²), while the plural staffs (attested already in Middle English, and then from the mid 15th cent. as staffes ) was re-formed analogically from the singular staff . Over time, staffs came to be perceived as the usual plural form in most senses of staff n.¹; however, the plural staves is still occasionally retained in literary use. Thus, since the end of the 16th cent. the plural form staves was shared by stave n.² and (in some uses) staff n.¹ stave n.² is included as a headword in the second (1679) edition of E. Coles Dict. Eng.-Lat., and then in Bailey (1721), in both cases in the sense corresponding to stave n.² 4a. It does not appear in Johnson, and gains more widespread lexicographical acceptance starting with the first edition of Webster (1828). Instances of the plural staves have been covered at the entry staff n.¹ if they are earlier than the earliest attestation of the singular stave in the relevant sense of stave n.², and also in the case of senses which are either not paralleled at stave n.² or for which the singular stave is attested considerably less frequently than staff . Both staff n.¹ and stave n.² are found in present-day use in the senses covered in branch I. The senses covered in branch II. are now largely restricted to stave n.², while the senses in branch III. are not paralleled at that entry. Sense history. (i) Early compounds. Already in Old English frequent in compounds, with some senses first attested as second element in compounds (compare e.g. senses 5b, 5c). Occasionally such compounds denote tools whose shape and function is not clear (e.g. crancstæf , in a list of weaving instruments: compare crank n.¹; hegstæf , in the context of enclosures, perhaps compare hay n.²) and which, if fully understood, might perhaps antedate later senses of the word (compare sense 7 and also sense 8). In a few other compounds the second element appears to be used in a less concrete and somewhat vague sense, perhaps reflecting earlier use in the sense ‘fate’ or ‘judgement’ (compare e.g. endestæf end, conclusion, death). (ii) Senses of branch II. Sense 18a ‘written character, letter’ (compare also stave n.² 12a) is paralleled in Old Saxon, early Scandinavian, and Old Icelandic (compare also bookstaff n., rune-stave n., and the early Germanic forms cited at those entries). Although the Gothic cognate is never found as a translation of ancient Greek γράμμα letter of the alphabet, existence of an equivalent sense in Gothic is perhaps implied by the use of the Gothic word to render ancient Greek στοιχεῖον (‘element, fundamental principle, rudiment of knowledge, elementary sound of speech, first component of a syllable, letter of the alphabet’: see stoicheiotical adj.) in the senses ‘rudiment of learning, fundamental principle’ (compare also classical Latin elementum ‘basic principle, elementary stage of education, letter of the alphabet, sound represented by the letter’, often used as an equivalent of Greek στοιχεῖον : see element n.). The sense ‘written character’ is usually assumed to be in origin an extended use of a sense ‘a stick on which a rune is carved’ (compare discussion at bookstaff n.), although such a sense is apparently not attested in any of the early Germanic languages. Compare rune-staff n. and roun-staff n. at roun n. Compounds, and see also stave n.² 13 and the discussion at that entry. Earlier currency in sense 19 is perhaps implied by similar use of baston n. 1, since this meaning is not paralleled by the insular or continental French etymons of that word (compare discussion at that entry). The sense ‘line of verse’ perhaps shows extended use of sense 18a ‘written character’ (that is, ‘letters set in a particular order, arranged in a line’; compare the semantic development shown by letter n.¹ II.). Alternatively, the sense may be due to the influence of early Scandinavian: compare Old Icelandic stef refrain (apparently a derivative (with suffix causing i-mutation) < the same Scandinavian base as staff n.¹). Sense 20 probably shows an extended use (not paralleled in other European languages) of either sense 19b or 19c. (iii) Senses of branch III. In sense 21a after German Stab (see above; first half of the 17th cent. in this sense, showing a semantic development from ‘staff as a symbol of office or authority’ to ‘office or authority’ (compare sense 5c) to ‘people in a position of authority’ (originally with reference to a group of military officers, and later, as in English, to a group of employees: compare sense 22)), and in early use perhaps partly also after Swedish †stav (1619 in this sense). Compare Dutch staf (17th cent. in this sense), Danish †stav (18th cent. in this sense), both after German, and also Swedish stab (1636), Danish stab (early 18th cent. or earlier), both < German Stab in this sense. Compare also General Staff n. at general adj. and n. Compounds 2. (iv) Additional notes on specific senses. With sense 5c compare later rod n.¹ 4a, baston n. 2a, baton n. 2a, batoon n. 2. With sense 9 compare baston n. 4, batoon n. 3, baton n. 3. With sense 13 compare slightly earlier pole n.¹ 1f, and later rod n.¹ 10, stick n.¹ 14. With sense 17b compare Dutch staf (1786 or earlier in this sense; also 1783 in stafwerk). I. A rod or stick (esp. one cut or shaped to be used for a particular purpose), and related senses. 1. A sturdy rod or stick, typically made of wood, used as an aid or support when walking, standing, etc.; a walking stick; esp. a stout stick, longer than a typical walking stick, having no handle but grasped by the user part-way along its length.Particularly associated with religious pilgrims.In quot. 1483 applied to a crutch. ΘΚΠ the world > space > relative position > support > [noun] > that which supports > something to lean on > staff to lean on > walking stick staffc725 yardc1000 bat?c1225 rodc1300 handstaffa1425 walking staffc1450 sceptre1526 walking stick1580 stick1620 nibbie1812 baton1860 waddy1974 the world > health and disease > healing > medical appliances or equipment > surgical supports > [noun] > crutch crutchc900 crosec1330 stiltc1330 potent1348 croche14.. staff1483 staff1483 potencea1500 crutchet1611 plyer1699 eOE King Ælfred tr. Gregory Pastoral Care (Hatton) (1871) xvii. 125 Mid gierde mon bið beswungen, & mid stæfe he bið awreðed [L. baculo sustentamur]. OE Ælfric Lives of Saints (Julius) (1881) I. 466 He sæt ða swa lange on þam laðum bendum, oðþæt he bestæl ut mid his stafe hoppende. c1275 (?a1200) Laȝamon Brut (Calig.) (1978) l. 15351 Þene staf he nom an honde and ferde ouer þan londe. 1483 W. Caxton tr. J. de Voragine Golden Legende f. ccccxxxij/2 He coude not goo ne stande wythoute he had two crutches or staues vnder hys armes. c1515 Ld. Berners tr. Bk. Duke Huon of Burdeux (1882–7) cxlvi. 545 Huon..aparelyd hymselfe lyke a pylgryme, with a stafe, and a bage abought his necke. 1590 E. Spenser Faerie Queene i. viii. sig. H2 An old old man..That on a staffe his feeble steps did frame. 1666 S. Pepys Diary 20 July (1972) VII. 211 He did present me with a varnished staff, very fine, and light to walk with. 1860 J. Tyndall Glaciers of Alps i. xiv. 95 I..dug my staff deeply into the snow. 1938 Essex Chron. 18 Feb. 7/5 In spite of bodily infirmity she used to walk a great deal, assisted by a wooden staff. 2004 Daily Tel. (Nexis) 10 Apr. (Travel section) 3 There were several outward observances, too, by which he might be known as a pilgrim: an untrimmed beard..a scrip or bag with a pottle or bottle, and, of course, a staff. 2. †a. A strong or robust post, rod, bar, or stake, esp. one which serves as a support or is used as a carrying pole for transporting a burden. Cf. cowl-staff n. Obsolete.Quot. 1869 may show this use of staff as the first element of a regional term designating a hedge constructed using stakes, but does not necessarily indicate the survival of the sense outside this compound. ΘΚΠ the world > space > relative position > support > [noun] > that which supports staffc1000 hold1042 source1359 legc1380 shorer1393 stabilimenta1398 upholder1398 sustentationa1400 undersetterc1400 bearinga1425 undersettinga1425 suppowellc1430 triclinec1440 sustentaclec1451 supportera1475 sustainerc1475 sustenal1483 stayc1515 buttress1535 underpinning1538 firmament1554 countenance1565 support1570 appuia1573 comfort1577 hypostasis1577 underpropping1586 porter1591 supportation1593 supportance1597 understaya1603 bearer1607 rest1609 upsetter1628 mountinga1630 sustent1664 underlay1683 holdfast1706 abutment1727 suppeditor1728 mount1739 monture1746 bed1793 appoggiatura1833 bracing1849 bench1850 under-pinner1859 bolster-piece1860 sustainer1873 table mount1923 society > occupation and work > equipment > tool > types of tools generally > [noun] > in form of bar, pole, rod, etc. stingc725 stakec893 sowelc900 tree971 rungOE shaftc1000 staffc1000 stockc1000 poleOE spritOE luga1250 lever1297 stanga1300 perchc1300 raftc1330 sheltbeam1336 stower1371 palea1382 spar1388 spire1392 perk1396 ragged staff1397 peela1400 slot1399 plantc1400 heck-stower1401 sparkin1408 cammockc1425 sallow stakec1440 spoke1467 perk treec1480 yard1480 bode1483 spit1485 bolm1513 gada1535 ruttock1542 stob1550 blade1558 wattle1570 bamboo1598 loggat1600 barling1611 sparret1632 picket1687 tringle1706 sprund1736 lug-pole1773 polting lug1789 baton1801 stuckin1809 rack-pin1821 picket-pin1844 I-iron1874 pricker1875 stag1881 podger1888 window pole1888 verge1897 sallow pole1898 lat1899 swizzle-stick1962 OE Lambeth Psalter cvi. 16 Quia contriuit portas aereas et uectes ferreos confregit : forðon þe he tobrytte gatu ærennu & stafas uel sahlas isenne tobræc. c1325 (c1300) Chron. Robert of Gloucester (Calig.) l. 2677 Ac some þat ofscapede..mid staues of hegges defended hom aboute. a1382 Bible (Wycliffite, E.V.) (Bodl. 959) (1959) Exod. xxv. 13 Þou schalt make beryng staues of þe trees of sychim. 1530 J. Palsgrave Lesclarcissement 275/1 Staffe to beare two peyles on, as they do in Fraunce, une covrge. 1572 L. Mascall tr. D. Brossard L'Art et Maniere de Semer iii, in Bk. Plant & Graffe Trees 14 How to set small staues by to strengthen your cyons. 1643 R. Baker Chron. Kings of Eng. ii. 1 To beare the Kings Canopy, upon foure staves of silver, over the Kings head. 1688 R. Holme Acad. Armory iii. 320/1 A Bearing Staff by which empty Barrels are carried by Servants from place to place. 1708 Constitutions Company Watermen & Lightermen xxv No Waterman..shall stick up and lay his Boat at his Staff, so as to hinder..due and orderly passing..but shall..stick up their said Staves clear of the said Stairs or Landing-places. 1789 Northampton Mercury 21 Mar. A Stick nearly as long and as thick as a carrying Staff. 1869 J. C. Atkinson Peacock's Gloss. Dial. Hundred of Lonsdale Staff-hedge, a hedge made with stakes raddled with thorns, or hazel, generally both.] b. A long rod or pole on which a cross, banner, etc., is carried aloft, esp. in a procession or parade. ΘΚΠ society > faith > artefacts > implement (general) > staff > [noun] > surmounted by cross > pole on which cross is borne staff1431 1432 in H. Littlehales Medieval Rec. London City Church (1905) 27 ij stanes [read staues] for þe principall crosses. 1460–5 Churchwardens' Accts. St. Andrew's East Cheap in Brit. Mag. (1847) 31 396 (MED) Payd for the makyng of ijo passyon baners: For Tartaryn; For the frenge; For the stauys; For the ijo Crossys; For the smale Stauys. a1529 J. Skelton Ware the Hauke (1843) 114 Cros, staffe, lectryne, and banner. 1733 C. Hunter Durham Cathedral 13 There were also two Crosses to be born, on principal Days for Procession; One all of Gold, and the Staff it stood in was of Silver. 1816 Caledonian Mercury 22 June The order of the procession was, the preses and treasurer..a crown carried on a staff [etc.]. 1878 J. H. Pollen Anc. & Mod. Gold & Silver Work 54 At the bottom of the cross is a spike to fit into the socket of a processional staff. 2003 R. Taylor How to read Church 227 Archbishops often have their own ‘archiepiscopal’ cross, a crucifix mounted on a staff, which is carried before them in procession. c. A post or pole from which a flag is flown, esp. one on the bow or stern of a ship. Cf. flagstaff n., jackstaff n.¹Attested earliest in flagstaff. ΘΚΠ society > communication > indication > insignia > standard > [noun] > poles and staffs banner-pole1566 banner-staff1566 flagstaff1614 staff1614 flagstick1871 flag-pole1884 1602 Voy. East-India in S. Purchas Pilgrimes (1625) I. x. vii. 1882 We..came that night to the harbour that we were in at our entring, which we call Flag-staffe Harbour, because we found there the Flag-staffe throwne by the Sauages away. 1644 H. Mainwaring Sea-mans Dict. 40 When they would have the flag out, they say, heave out the Flagg, that is, to wrap it close about the staffe. 1702 Royal Proclam. 18 Dec. in London Gaz. No. 3871/1 All such Ships as have Commissions of Letters of Mart or Reprisals, shall, besides the Colours which may be worn by Merchants Ships, wear a Red Jack, with the Union Jack, described in a Canton of the upper Corner thereof next the Staff. 1836 W. Irving Astoria III. 228 They would willingly have nailed their colours to the staff, and defied the frigate. 1903 Daily Tel. 7 July 10/2 From the staff surmounting Apsley House the French flag was flung boldly to the breeze. 2005 B. Little Sea Rover's Pract. (2007) xi. 112 English merchant ships flew the red ancient from the staff at the stern. 3. figurative and in figurative contexts. Something that supports, strengthens, or sustains; esp. a person who or thing which can be relied upon to provide assistance or comfort. Cf. prop n.¹ 3.In quot. OE¹ in the poetic compound ēþel-stæf sustainer of the homeland (cf. ethel n.), referring to an heir. ΘΚΠ the world > action or operation > easiness > aid, help, or assistance > support > [noun] > that which or one who supports crutchc900 upholda1066 uptakinga1300 arma1382 postc1387 staff1390 sustainerc1390 undersetterc1400 potent?a1439 buttressa1450 supportalc1450 comfort1455 supporta1456 studa1500 poge1525 underpropper1532 shore1534 staya1542 prop1562 stoopa1572 underprop1579 sustentation1585 rest1590 underpinning1590 supportance1597 sustinent1603 lean1610 reliance1613 hingea1616 columna1620 spar1630 gable end1788 lifeboat1832 standback1915 OE Genesis A (1931) 2225 Nu ic eom orwena þæt unc seo eðyl stæf [probably read se eðylstæf] æfre weorðe gifeðe ætgædere. OE King Ælfred tr. Psalms (Paris) (2001) xxii. 5 Þin gyrd and þin stæf me afrefredon (þæt is, þin þreaung and eft þin frefrung). a1382 Bible (Wycliffite, E.V.) (Bodl. 959) (1965) Tobit x. 4 Allas me my sone..þe liȝt of oure eȝen, staf of oure eelde, solace of oure lijf. c1450 ( Assumption of Virgin (Egerton 876) in R. Hamer & V. Russell Gilte Legende (2007) II. 581 (MED) I haue shewed the a walle to alle the worlde, an arche of sauacion, a brigge to hem that be fletynge, a staffe to the feble. 1595 Blanchardine & Eglantine 213 And is she gon, the comfort of my youth, the staffe of my age. a1616 W. Shakespeare Antony & Cleopatra (1623) iii. xiii. 68 It much would please him, That of his Fortunes you should make a staffe To leane vpon. View more context for this quotation 1642 T. Fuller Holy State v. xiv. 415 Having lost his own legs, he relyes on the staff of his kinred. 1720 D. Defoe Mem. Cavalier 272 They were the Staff of the Party. 1830 W. Scott Introd. Lay of Last Minstrel ⁋13 I determined that literature should be my staff, but not my crutch. 1876 T. Hardy Hand of Ethelberta I. xiii. 138 Long before he adopted music as the staff of his pilgrimage. 1957 E. Jones Life & Work Freud (1964) I. xiii. 262 What courage to cast aside the only staff he had to cling to, with only a dim hope of reaching the inner resources of self-confidence that could replace it! 2012 Times (S. Afr.) (Nexis) 20 Sept. (Opinion & Editorial section) Faith can serve as a staff to support you through troubled times. 4. A stick or pole used as a weapon or instrument of punishment. a. A striking or beating weapon consisting of a stout stick, rod, or pole; esp. (a) a heavy stick used as a club; a cudgel; a truncheon; (b) a long, wooden pole used as a weapon in close combat; a quarterstaff (quarterstaff n.).Also as the second element in compounds; cf. balk-staff n., quarterstaff n.The constable's staff (see e.g. quot. 1583) was formerly regarded not only a weapon but as a badge of office (see sense 5c); cf. tipstaff n. 1. ΘΚΠ society > armed hostility > military equipment > weapon > club or stick > [noun] > pole or staff roodOE staffc1000 reppleOE slot-staff1561 long-staff1595 bone-baster1600 handstaff1611 ballowa1616 watch pole1712 coup-stick1876 OE Ælfric Gram. (St. John's Oxf.) 55 Fustis, sagol oððe stæf. OE Ælfric Homily: De Falsis Diis (Corpus Cambr. 178) in J. C. Pope Homilies of Ælfric (1968) II. 700 Gif þu me leafe sylst, ic ofslea þisne dracan buton swurde and stafe [L. absque gladio et fuste]. c1275 (?a1200) Laȝamon Brut (Calig.) (1963) l. 4066 Euelin..mid þan stæue to-draf. and smat Herigal a þon ribben þat þe stæf to-bræc amidden. c1300 St. Laurence (Laud) l. 114 in C. Horstmann Early S.-Eng. Legendary (1887) 343 He het heom with grete staues leggen on him to grounde. 1485 Malory's Morte Darthur (Caxton) i. ix. sig. avii Thenne the comyns of Carlyon aroos with clubbis and stauys and slewe many knyghtes. 1583 in W. H. Stevenson Rec. Borough Nottingham (1889) IV. 201 xxx. Cunstable stavez at xvd. a pece. 1671 J. Milton Samson Agonistes 1123 I only with an Oak'n staff will meet thee. View more context for this quotation 1778 G. L. Way Learning at Loss I. 103 In his Hand [was] a very inimical Oak staff of at least two Inches diameter. 1932 Derby Evening Tel. 2 Sept. 1/7 Noon threatened to ‘brain him’, and the constable was forced to draw his staff and knock him out. 2000 Black Belt May 116/1 (caption) A popular type of sparring involves pitting an empty-handed kung fu stylist against one armed with a staff. b. figurative and in figurative contexts. Something considered as a means or instrument of defence, chastisement, punishment, etc. Cf. rod n.¹ 1b.See also to make a staff for one's own head at Phrases 4a. ΘΠ society > authority > punishment > [noun] > implement or means roda1393 judiciala1641 ?a1300 Sayings St. Bernard (Digby) in F. J. Furnivall Minor Poems Vernon MS (1901) ii. 762 Þou take þe rode to þi staf, And þenk on him þat þereoune ȝaf His lif..þou ȝelde hit him; Aȝein his fo, þat staf þou nim, And wrek him of þat þef! ?a1425 tr. Catherine of Siena Orcherd of Syon (Harl.) (1966) 149 (MED) I schal neuere tempte þe moore, for euere þou smytist me wiþ þe staf of charite. 1577 tr. ‘F. de L'Isle’ Legendarie sig. Gvij She looked to finde in him a new staffe wherewith to suppresse the Guisians. 1653 in J. Pomroy Faithful Discov. of Treacherous Design of Mystical Antichrist 7 Though they often quote the Scriptures, Yet..it is but partially, And..not as the ground of their Faith, But..chiefly as a staff to beat others with. 1780 St James's Chron. 17–19 Aug. We have furnished a Staff to beat ourselves. 1904 C. Whibley Literary Portraits 70 Guilpin..makes Rabelais a staff to beat his enemies. 2012 National Post (Canada) (National ed.) (Nexis) 1 Dec. a27 If ever there was a politico who gave his enemies a staff to beat him. †c. A thrusting or cutting weapon consisting of a long (typically wooden) shaft with a point or blade at one end; a lance, pike, or other polearm. Cf. staff-sword n. Obsolete.Frequently as the second element in compounds designating weapons of this type, as in horseman's staff, hunter's staff, etc.; cf. boar-staff n. ΘΚΠ society > armed hostility > military equipment > weapon > sharp weapon > spear or lance > [noun] spearc725 ordeOE spriteOE wal-speara1000 gareOE shaftc1000 staffc1275 glaive1297 lancegayc1386 gad1422 burdounc1440 Jedburgh (Jedworth, Jedwood etc.) staff1515 puncheon pole1548 puncheon spear1548 puncheon staff1548 punching staff1562 prag1582 sarissa1736 staff weapon1788 windlestraw1831 ?a1400 (a1338) R. Mannyng Chron. (Petyt) (1996) i. l. 14190 Oiþer þorgh bataile playn in felde, or with champion staf & schelde. 1488 (c1478) Hary Actis & Deidis Schir William Wallace (Adv.) (1968–9) ii. l. 97 A huntyn staff in-till his hand he bar. Thar-with he smat on Willȝham Wallace thair, Bot for his tre litill sonȝhe he maid. a1547 Earl of Surrey tr. Virgil Fourth Bk. Aeneas (1554) iv. sig. Bii^v The huntyng staues wyth theyr broade heades of steele. 1562 P. Whitehorne Certain Waies Orderyng Souldiers f. 45, in tr. N. Machiavelli Arte of Warre Howe to make certayn fyreworke to tye at the poinctes of pykes or horsemenstaues. 1611 R. Cotgrave Dict. French & Eng. Tongues Espieu, a Boare-speare; a hunting staffe, or Iauelin. 1789 Wonderful Life & Surprising Adventures Robinson Crusoe 118 A gallant Indian slave, who with no other weapon but an armed staff, and a hatchet, killed five men. 5. A rod or stick held in the hand, used as an instrument or symbol of a person's occupation. a. A rod or stick for driving or herding animals; esp. one with a hooked end used for tending sheep; a shepherd's crook. Frequently figurative and in figurative contexts, esp. with reference to God or Christ considered as a shepherd guiding and disciplining his flock; cf. shepherd n. 2b, flock n.¹ 4a. ΘΚΠ the world > food and drink > farming > animal husbandry > sheep-farming > [noun] > crook sheep-crookc1420 crookc1430 staffc1475 hook?1523 sheep-hook?1523 OE tr. Defensor Liber Scintillarum (1969) xxxii. 232 Latratu canum baculoque pastoris luporum rabies deterrenda est : of gebeorce hunda & mid stafe hyrdes wulfa wodness to afligenne ys. a1500 (?a1400) Tale King Edward & Shepherd (Cambr.) (1930) l. 857 (MED) Þe scheperde keppid his staf ful warme, And happid it euer vndir his harme. 1538 T. Elyot Dict. Agolum, a staffe to dryue cattell with. 1665 J. Sparrow tr. J. Böhme Forty Questions of Soul xxxix. 407 And they shall be led to Pasture with a staff, and the Shepherd will rejoyce with his Sheep; that God is so Gracious. 1744 Heidelbergh Catech. 69/2 The same Word of God is also the Staff wherewith the Flock is led and ruled. 1848 Times 18 Dec. 5/5 It would be treating us not like men, but like a vile flock, driven with a staff. 1922 Adventure 28 Feb. 94/2 I picked up the cowherd's staff, and the two of us soon had the drove moving up the road. 2004 Portland (Maine) Press Herald (Nexis) 6 June (Outdoors section) 1 k Standing above his pastures with a staff, Simmons directs Tess [sc. a sheep-dog] with mostly one- and two-syllable commands. b. A ceremonial rod, typically surmounted by a crook (or sometimes a cross), carried by a bishop, abbot, or other prelate as a symbol of pastoral office; a crozier.Attested earliest in bishop staff. ΘΚΠ society > faith > artefacts > implement (general) > staff > [noun] > bishop's staffa1122 bat?c1225 bagle1330 crosec1330 potent1348 crookc1386 croche14.. cley-staffc1440 baculc1449 cross-staffa1464 pastoral staff?a1475 crosier's staff1488 crosier1500 crose-staff1549 pastoral1658 beagle-rod1664 tau staff1843 tau1855 tau crosier1900 OE List of Relics, Exeter in M. Förster Zur Geschichte des Reliquienkultus in Altengland (1943) 76 Of sanctus Basilius toðe & of his biscopstafe. lOE Anglo-Saxon Chron. (Laud) anno 1047 Se papa hæfde sinoð on Uercel, & Ulf biscop com þærto, & forneah man sceolde tobrecan his stef. c1275 (?a1200) Laȝamon Brut (Calig.) (1978) l. 11031 Þene ærchebiscopes staf þer he Piram aȝaf. c1400 Comm. on Canticles (Bodl. 288) in T. Arnold Sel. Eng. Wks. J. Wyclif (1871) III. 28 Þe kyngis ȝerde and þe bischopis staf bitokenen her regalte and her dignyte, by þe whiche þei schulen..rulen hemsilf and her sogetis. c1475 (?c1400) Apol. Lollard Doctr. (1842) 56 Prelats wiþ þer stafis and oþer ornaments. 1535 Bp. Hilsey in H. Ellis Orig. Lett. Eng. Hist. (1846) 3rd Ser. II. 352 Yff hytt may plese your Mastershypp to be soe good unto me as to geve my predecessours Myttre, Staff, and Seale. 1643 R. Baker Chron. Kings of Eng. i. 55 That the King should receive homage of Bishops elect; but should not Invest them by Staffe and Ring. 1851 E. B. Browning Casa Guidi Windows i. xxvi. 69 With his pastoral ring and staff. 1934 Tamworth Herald 17 Mar. 3/2 The Archdeacon of Aston..carrying the episcopal staff and acting as chaplain to the Bishop. 2009 Church Times 11 Dec. 15/1 At the office hymn, he and his chaplains went to stand in front of the Bishop at the altar, where, with appropriate prayers, he was robed in cope and mitre, given a replica episcopal ring and the Bishop's own staff. c. A rod, baton, or wand carried by the holder of a particular post or position as an official symbol of authority or badge of office; (also) the office or post with which this is associated. Cf. white staff n.Attested earliest in Old English canterstæf cantor's staff. ΘΚΠ society > authority > office > symbol of office or authority > [noun] > staff or rod yardc1275 tipped stickc1386 bastona1400 mace?a1419 wandc1430 warderc1440 baculc1449 roda1450 verge1493 staff1535 tipstaff1541 verger1547 truncheon1573 vare1578 baton?1590 trunch1590 fasces1598 macer wanda1600 virge1610 batoona1652 stick1677 shaku1875 poker1905 OE Rec. Gifts of Bp. Leofric to Exeter Cathedral (Bodl.) in A. J. Robertson Anglo-Saxon Charters (1956) 226 iii cantercæppa & iii canterstafas & v pællene weofodsceatas. ?c1410 T. Hoccleve Balade to Lord Chancellor l. 7 in Minor Poems (1970) 58 My lord the Chanceller..your staf your warant wole expresse. a1500 (a1477) Black Bk. (Soc. of Antiquaries) in A. R. Myers Househ. Edward IV (1959) 142 Steward of housolde receyuith his charge of the kinges highnes and propyr person, and the staff of houshold... He representith the kinges astate; his staff is taken as for comission. a1618 W. Raleigh Prerogatiue Parl. (1628) 32 In his fifth yeare was the Treasurer againe changed, and the Staffe giuen to Segraue, and the Lord Chancellour was also changed, and the staffe giuen to the Lord Scroope. 1716 T. Hearne Remarks & Coll. (1901) V. 283 By this Resignation of the..place..of Beadle..I kept Possession of the Library, laying down the Staff before I went out. 1813 King George IV in Duke of Wellington Dispatches (1838) X. 552 You have sent me..the Staff of a French Marshal, and I send you in return that of England. 1863 H. Cox Inst. Eng. Govt. iii. vii. 694 Lord Godolphin, the Earl of Oxford, and the Duke of Shrewsbury successively received the Treasurer's staff. 1952 Times 11 Nov. 2/5 The Worshipful Company of Wheelwrights..came by in a smoothly running car with the beadle in a front seat and his staff of office carefully placed so that it leant out of the window. 2006 Brit. Art Jrnl. 7 49/1 He [sc. the 4th Earl of Pembroke] holds the staff and displays the ceremonial key of office of Lord Chamberlain of the Royal Household. d. A stick or rod used for occult or magical purposes, esp. to cast spells. ΘΚΠ the world > the supernatural > the occult > sorcery, witchcraft, or magic > [noun] > magical object > wand wanda1400 charming-rod1601 staffa1616 rune-staff1705 OE tr. Pseudo-Apuleius Herbarium (Vitell.) (1984) cxxxii. 170 Swa þu scealt onbutan hy delfan swa ðu hyre mid þam iserne na æthrine; ac þu geornlice scealt mid ylpenbanenon stæfe [L. de palo eburneo] ða eorðan delfan. a1616 W. Shakespeare Tempest (1623) v. i. 54 But this rough Magicke I heere abiure..I'le breake my staffe, Bury it certaine fadomes in the earth. View more context for this quotation 1656 S. Holland tr. Don Zara ii. i. 67 Her Rod, Staff, and other implements of Sorcery stood by her on a Table of Abstersive Ebony. 1770 J. Langhorne & W. Langhorne tr. Camillus in Plutarch Lives (Rtldg.) 109/2 They discovered under a great heap of ashes the augural staff of Romulus. This staff is crooked at one end, and called lituus. 1866 Daily Tel. 11 Oct. 2/1 It is the capitalist who carries the magician's staff of our era—he can transport or import labour as his interest dictates. 1968 U. K. Le Guin Wizard of Earthsea (2012) vii. 139 He was a wizard once himself, but he threw away his staff to serve a power greater than any mage's. 2020 Hull Daily Mail (Nexis) 8 May (Features section) 34 The siblings..discover a wizard's staff..and instructions for an incantation to reanimate their father for one day. †6. a. A stick or length of wood, without specific use or purpose. Obsolete. Π eOE Corpus Gloss. (1890) 85/2 Olastrum, staeb. c1425 Edward, Duke of York Master of Game (Vesp. B.xii) (1904) 105 (MED) Þan shuld..be..þe galle and þe paunch cast away, and þe remenaunt shuld be laide on a grete staf or on a boord. c1450 Treat. Fishing in J. McDonald et al. Origins of Angling (1963) 147 (MED) How ȝe schall make your Rodde craftely..Ye schall kytte..a feyr staf evyn of a vj fote long or mor..of hasill, wilowe, or aspe. b. A limb or stem of a tree, shrub, etc.; a stick, a branch. Obsolete. Π eOE Bald's Leechbk. (Royal) (1865) i. iii. 42 Genim grenne æscenne stæf, lege on fyr, genim þonne þæt seaw þe him of gæþ. 1432 in H. Littlehales Medieval Rec. London City Church (1905) 26 Also iiij stavis of red clothid with damaske. a1500 (?a1450) Treat. Gardening l. 28 in Archaeologia (1894) 54 161 (MED) Make thy Kyttyng of thy graffe By-twyne the newe & the olde staffe So that hit be made to lyfe. 7. An implement or component consisting of or resembling a rod or stick. †a. The shaft of a candlestick or lamp stand. Obsolete.Attested earliest in candle-staff n.; see also Judas staff n. ΚΠ OE Monasteriales Indicia (1996) 26 Gyf þu candelsticcan habban wille, þonne blaw þu on þinum scytefingre and hald þine hand samlocene, swylce þu candelstæf hæbbe. a1382 Bible (Wycliffite, E.V.) (Bodl. 959) (1959) Exod. xxv. 31 Þou schalt make aȝeten candilstyke of most clene gold, þe staffe [a1425 L.V. schaft] of it, & þe ȝerdis, cuppis, & lytyll ballis, & lylyse goyng out of it. b. Any of various objects or implements consisting of a rod or pole; a rod, pole, shaft, etc., forming a component part in an object or device; esp. †(a) a pole ending in a small spade or shovel, used to clear earth, roots, weeds, etc., from the coulter and mouldboard of a plough (cf. plough staff n.) (obsolete); (b) a long plunger used to agitate the contents of a butter churn (cf. churn-staff n. 1).Frequently (and earliest) as the second element in compounds, as acre-staff n. cart-staff n. mash-staff n. ΘΠ the world > food and drink > farming > tools and implements > ploughing equipment > [noun] > plough-staff acre-staffc1300 plough staffc1325 plough-batc1400 plough-potec1400 pattle1404 plough pattle1404 paddle1407 paddle-staff1583 pad-staff1650 sull-paddle1669 spade-staff1706 plough-spade1712 plough cleaner1850 wad-staff1856 wad-stick1889 the world > food and drink > food > food manufacture and preparation > preparation of dairy produce > [noun] > churning butter > churning-staff churn-staff?a1500 churning-staff1768 dash1796 plunger1838 churning-stick1840 churn-dasher1845 dasher1847 churn-dash1860 a1300 Gloss. W. de Bibbesworth (Bodl.) (1929) l. 922 A kirstafe [a1325 Arun. ploustare, a1400 Corpus Cambr. ploustaf, a1400 Paris sulstaf; glossing Fr. moundilloun]. c1325 (c1300) Chron. Robert of Gloucester (Calig.) l. 2198 Ȝe beþ men bet iteiȝt to ssofle & to spade, To cartstaf & to ploustaf. a1444 Inventory in Paston Lett. & Papers (2004) I. 20 j chirne; j chyrnyngstaf. 1559 in J. Raine Wills & Inventories Archdeaconry Richmond (1853) 134 A chirn with a staf. 1577 B. Googe tr. C. Heresbach Foure Bks. Husbandry i. f. 21 With the Rodde or Staffe well poynted, the plowman maketh cleane his Coulter. 1593 Churchwardens' Accts. St. Michael's, Oxf. (MS) It'm payd to Oven for settinge a shooe & a staff in ye plompe xxij^d. 1784 ‘An Essex Farmer’ Let. on Constr. & Use of Improved Foot Plough 18 The staff itself rests upon the pins that hold the breast to the sheath and handle. 1831 Chester Chron. 11 Mar. Cheese tub, churn and staff, several lots of cheese vats. 1928 Courier & Advertiser (Dundee) 28 Jan. (2nd ed.) 9/2 The staff of the churn was made of it [sc. rowan], so that evil spirits would play no pranks with the butter. 1994 C. Upton et al. Surv. Eng. Dial.: Dict. & Gram. Staff, the adjustable right-hand handle of a horse-drawn plough [Suffolk]. 2008 S. Heaney in D. O'Driscoll Stepping Stones (2009) i. i. 17 A plunge churn, hooped and lidded, the timber lid with a hole in the middle of it to let it down over the staff. c. The long (typically wooden) shaft or handle of a weapon or other implement.Frequently as the second element in compounds, as flail-staff n., handstaff n. 2, rake staff n. ΘΚΠ society > armed hostility > military equipment > weapon > sharp weapon > spear or lance > [noun] > shaft of spear spear-shafta900 ashOE shaftc1000 truncheon13.. tree?a1366 timberc1400 sting?a1500 spear-staff1530 steal1530 rodc1540 stale1553 stave1873 staff- society > occupation and work > equipment > tool > parts of tools generally > [noun] > handle > long straight stalea1200 steal1377 stealc1395 shaft1530 staff- Promptorium Parvulorum (Harl. 221) 165 Fleyl staffe, or honde staffe [a1500 BL Add. 37789 handyll], manutentum. 1501 in J. B. Paul Accts. Treasurer Scotl. (1900) II. 22 For tua staffes to the Kingis batale axes of tre ij s. viij d. 1611 Bible (King James) 1 Sam. xvii. 7 The staffe of his speare was like a weauers beame. View more context for this quotation 1798 R. O. Mason ‘Pro Aris et Focis’ 31 Two spikes which fall from the Staff of the Pike. 1846 Sheffield & Rotherham Independent 12 Sept. The staff of the brush was broken over him. 1909 S. P. Shaler Mem. in Autobiogr. N. S. Shaler 303 A straight-handled spade, the staff six feet or so long. 2014 T. M. White Goddess at Work 99 The center two soldiers put up a feeble defense. Sajrandos gave them each a crack upon the shoulder with the staff of his lance. d. Any of various instruments consisting principally of a large straight rod, often marked with graduations and sometimes having a movable crosspiece, used in measuring, surveying, etc.; esp. an instrument for measuring distances and heights, esp. in surveying or (formerly) in astronomy (cf. Jacob's staff n. 2). Also: a rod used as a marker when taking measurements, a ranging rod.See also back-staff n., cross-staff n. 2, fore-staff n., etc. ΘΚΠ the world > the earth > earth sciences > geography > map-making > surveying > [noun] > surveying instruments > staff or pole staff?1556 a1484 Treat. on Staff Jacob (Trin. Cambr. R.14.52) in M. T. Tavormina Sex, Aging & Death in a Medieval Med. Compend. (2006) II. 664 Iff thow wilt make the Staff of Jacob, take a iiij-square yerd to the length of j or ij elnes, lengger or shorter. ?1556 L. Digges Tectonicon (title page) An Instrument called the profitable Staffe. ?a1560 L. Digges Geom. Pract.: Pantometria (1571) i. xiv. sig. D iv^v Heightes are ingeniously searched out by a staffe. 1610 A. Hopton Baculum Geodæticum iii. vii. 68 Appoint thy first station, and there place thy staffe, and take the angle of altitude. 1633 W. Forster tr. W. Oughtred Addition Circles Proportion 73 You are to remember that the degrees serving for the Crosse-staffe are placed both on the Staffe and Transversarie. 1754 M. Murray Treat. Ship-building & Navigation ii. ii. 144 Two sides of the staff are marked half breadths, and the other two sides, heighth of the sheer. 1790 E. Leach Treat. Universal Inland Navigations viii. 128 On this face of the staff's being properly divided, depends the trueness of the level. 1835 London Jrnl. Arts & Sci. 6 330 The graduated staffs or measuring rods being thus placed at the stations. 1880 L. d'A. Jackson Aid Surv.-pract. 11 Telemetrical observation on graduated staves. A graduated staff is held vertically at the required distant point [etc.]. 1925 Amer. Pract. Navigator (U.S. Hydrographic Office) 252 The Staff Gauge..consists of a vertical staff graduated upward in feet and tenths, and so placed that its zero shall lie below the lowest tides. 1956 K. M. Bell Some Useful Hints Pract. Surv. 10 Assuming that our initial staff reading is round the 5 ft. mark, we still have 9 feet (assuming a 14 ft. Sopwith staff), to use up before a change point becomes necessary. 2000 Timaru (N.Z.) Herald (Nexis) 22 May He used a precision German digital process surveying level box and a bar-coded staff, accurate to one hundredth of a millimetre. †e. A rod or bar forming a tie or brace in the framework of an object; esp. a crosspiece between the legs of a chair; a stretcher (stretcher n. 5b). Cf. round n.¹ 13c. Obsolete (chiefly English regional (midlands) in later use).See also stave n.² 3a from which this use is indistinguishable in the plural. ΘΚΠ the world > food and drink > farming > tools and implements > ploughing equipment > [noun] > plough > cross-bar staff?1523 stay-rig1591 pillow1733 shoot1733 society > inhabiting and dwelling > inhabited place > a building > furniture and fittings > seat > chair > [noun] > parts of chairs > other parts round1599 staff1851 show-wood1864 shoe-piece1867 ?1523 J. Fitzherbert Bk. Husbandry f. ii^v There be two roug[h]e staues in euery plough in the hynder ende set a slope bytwene the ploughe tayle & the stylt to holde out and kepe the plough a brode in the hynder ende, and the one is lenger than the other. 1851 T. Sternberg Dial. & Folk-lore Northants. Staff, the spar or ‘round’ of a chair. 1853 Leics. Mercury 16 July Defendant then hurled the chair-staff at him, which caught him on the head. 1882 Berrows Worcester Jrnl. 20 May 4/6 She saw defendant throw the poker and staff of the chair at complainant. f. A stand or support for a theodolite or other instrument, typically consisting of a tripod (or sometimes a single pole) having its legs pointed at the bottom to be driven into the ground. Cf. Jacob's staff n. 2c, three-legged staff. Now rare. ΘΚΠ the world > space > relative position > support > [noun] > that which supports > a stand or support to raise from the ground > with three legs trivet1526 trefoot1559 three-legged staff1701 staff1728 trestle1790 tripod1825 1596 R. Agas Preparative to Platting Landes & Tenem. 8 And now to the Theodolite: Let the same be massie, & transparant (if you may) large & perfectly deuided, close & ful vpon the supporter or staffe. 1728 E. Chambers Cycl. Staff, in Surveying, a kind of Stand, whereon to mount a Theodolite, Circumferentor, plain Table, or the like, for Use. It consists of Three Legs of Wood, joyned together at one End, whereon the Instrument is placed; and made peeked at the other, to enter the Ground. 1791 G. Adams Geom. & Graphical Ess. 233 The whole instrument fits on the conical serril of a strong brass headed staff, with three substantial wooden legs. 1830 London Lit. Gaz. 30 Oct. 694/1 New and remarkably firm, yet light and portable, Tripod Staff, for the support of Drawing-Boards, Plane-Tables, Theodolites, Telescopes, &c. 1912 G. A. T. Middleton Surv. & Surv. Instruments (ed. 3) iv. 41 The surveyors' level consists of three portions..all carried upon a tripod staff, to the head of which it can be screwed. 1997 T. Pynchon Mason & Dixon 241 A Journeyman Surveyor, errant all through the North country..three-legged Staff cock'd over his shoulder, circumferentor slung in a Pitman's bag along with dry stockings. †g. The shaft or shank of an anchor. Obsolete. ΘΚΠ society > travel > travel by water > vessel, ship, or boat > equipment of vessel > anchoring equipment > [noun] > anchor > shank of anchor shankc1550 staff1611 shaft1769 1611 R. Cotgrave Dict. French & Eng. Tongues Stangue d' un' ancre, the staffe of an Anchor. 1896 Aberdeen Jrnl. 16 Nov. 6/5 One anchor fluke has penetrated the vessel and the other has broken off completely, the anchor staff being embedded. †h. The piston or plunger of a syringe. Obsolete. rare. ΘΚΠ the world > health and disease > healing > medical appliances or equipment > equipment for applying medicaments > [noun] > syringe > piston of staff1653 embolus1669 1617 J. Woodall Surgions Mate 19 When you would put in your medicine, you must draw down your staffe as low as you can. 1651 T. Brugis Vade Mecum 149 When we give comfortable Clysters, we oftentimes force them up as far as we can, I mean the Liquor by thrusting the staffe harder; when you draw out your siringe, let it be washed and wiped clean, and the staffe drawn out of the barrel. i. A rod used as or forming the gnomon of a sundial. Now chiefly historical. ΘΚΠ the world > time > instruments for measuring time > [noun] > sundial > parts of pinOE gnomon1546 style1577 cock1585 hour-line1593 substyle1593 index1594 noon-line1596 incliner1638 substylara1652 substylar linea1652 staff1669 nodus1678 node1704 stylus1796 noon-mark1842 sun line1877 1624 J. Aspley Speculum Nauticum xiv. 49 By the verse or contrary shaddow, is vnderstood the length of any shaddow, that is made by a staffe or Gnomon, standing against any Perpendicular wall, in such a maner that it may lie parallell vnto the Horizon. 1702 Eng. Chapmans & Traveller's Almanack sig. A4 For the ready finding of the Hour of the Day by this Dial, you must provide a streight Staff or Ruler. 1829 Chapters Physical Sci. ix. 89 The sun dial, which marks the time by the shadow of a stile or staff. 2004 L. Adkins & R. A. Adkins Handbk. Life Anc. Rome (rev. ed.) 376/1 In its most simple form, the sundial consisted of a gnomon or staff. j. Surgery. A long metal rod, typically grooved, used to guide the knife while making a surgical incision, esp. during operations on the urethra or bladder; = director n. 3c. Now historical.Cf. also conductor n. 10. ΘΚΠ the world > health and disease > healing > medical appliances or equipment > surgical instruments > [noun] > guiding or directing instruments director1667 directory1693 staff1699 obturator1862 1683 G. Harvey Conclave of Physicians iii. 44 The Operation was performed upon the Staff, (that is, with the Apparatus major)..but no Stone was to be found in this Quarry. 1699 M. Lister Journey to Paris (new ed.) 233 He boldly thrusts in a broad Lancet..till he joins the Catheter or Staff, or the Stone betwixt his Fingers. 1720 J. Douglas Lithotomia Douglassiana 14 That [operation] which Surgeons call Cutting on the Staffe, i.e. when a furrow'd Probe is pass'd into the Bladder, upon which they afterwards Cut. 1808 R. Allan Hist. Operation Lithotomy 23 He [sc. Frère Jacques] used a big round staff without a groove. 1895 Catal. Surg. Instruments (Arnold & Sons) 625 Lithotomy Instruments... Six Staffs, grooved. 1923 Brit. Med. Jrnl. 14 July 69/2 The operation [sc. perineal section] is greatly facilitated by the use of the special staff depicted here. 2001 H. Ellis Hist. Surg. xii. 184/1 The plan of the procedure was to pass a grooved staff into the bladder along the urethra and subsequently to cut down upon this instrument. k. Watchmaking. An axle or arbor (arbor n.¹ 2).balance staff, pallet staff: see the first element. ΘΚΠ the world > time > instruments for measuring time > watch > [noun] > parts of barrel1591 motion1605 bezel1616 fusee1622 string1638 crown wheel1646 out-case1651 watch-box1656 nuck1664 watchwork1667 balance-wheel1669 box1675 dial wheel1675 counter-potence1678 pendulum-balance1680 watch-case1681 pillar1684 contrate teeth1696 pinion of report1696 watch-hook1698 bob-balance1701 half-cock1701 potence1704 verge1704 pad1705 movable1709 jewel1711 pendant1721 crystal1722 watch-key1723 pendulum spring1728 lock spring1741 watch-glass1742 watch-spring1761 all-or-nothing piece1764 watch hand1764 cylinder1765 cannon?1780 cannon1802 stackfreed1819 pillar plate1821 little hand1829 hair-spring1830 lunette1832 all-or-nothing1843 locking1851 slag1857 staff1860 case spring1866 stem1866 balance-cock1874 watch-dial1875 balance-spring1881 balance-staff1881 Breguet spring1881 overcoil1881 surprise-piece1881 brass edge1884 button turn1884 fourth wheel1884 fusee-sink1884 pair-case1884 silver bar1884 silver piece1884 slang1884 top plate1884 karrusel1893 watch-face1893 watch bracelet1896 bar-movement1903 jewel pivot1907 jewel bearing1954 1773 T. Hatton Introd. Clock & Watch Work i. 137 At such a distance as to allow for the staff of the verge to go between them. 1860 E. B. Denison Clocks & Watches & Bells 285 The staff or arbor of the balance. 1885 C. G. W. Lock Workshop Receipts 4th Ser. 339/1 Centre the point so that the body of the staff runs perfectly true. 1902 Daily Chron. 13 May 10/5 All Jobbers requiring pivots, staffs, cylinders, and complicated watch repairs. 1995 P. Woodward My Own Right Time Gloss. 157 Staff—Another word for an axle; traditionally, the arbor of a balance is called the balance staff and the arbor for the pallets of a watch escapement the pallet staff. l. Chiefly U.S. A pole or stick at the end of a fishing net or seine which keeps the net expanded; = stretcher n. 6b. Now rare. ΚΠ 1823 J. F. Cooper Pioneers II. iv. 59 Benjamin prided himself greatly on his skill in throwing his net... A loud plash in the water, as he threw away the ‘staff’, or ‘stretcher’. 1924 W. C. Schroeder Fisheries of Key West & Clam Industry of S. Florida (U.S. Dept. Commerce. Bureau of Fisheries) 36 Quickly surround the mullets, describing a semicircle and bringing the staffs of the nets together at another point. 1973 Marine Fisheries Rev. Dec. 29/2 When the nets are ready to be fished, the staffs of the two back nets are lashed together. m. Railways (originally and chiefly British). A rod or baton given to a train driver as authority to travel over a single-track section of a railway line as a means of preventing collisions, the existence of a single staff for that section ensuring that there can only be a train travelling in one direction at any given time; = train staff n. (a) at train n.² Compounds 2c. Cf. token n. 7b. Now chiefly historical. ΘΚΠ society > travel > rail travel > railway system or organization > [noun] > system for use of single track > token or staff train ticket1841 train staff1853 staff1885 staff ticket1885 tablet1885 token1936 1853 Railway Times 5 Feb. 143/3 Dismissal will immediately follow if the train is started without the ‘staff’, or if the ‘staff’ is carried beyond the proper station. 1883 Queensland Figaro 5 May 286/2 There were no signals; no single line ‘staff’; no watches..no station masters. 1931 D. L. Sayers Five Red Herrings xxvii. 330 The station-master marched across, carrying the staff under his arm. 2005 S. Hall Mod. Signalling Handbk. (rev. ed.) 9/1 A single line staff, usually a wooden or metal rod, engraved with the name of the branch, was the driver's authority to enter the single line, and as there was only one such staff in existence, safety was assured. 8. Each of a number of rods, bars, beams, or slats forming part of an implement or other manufactured object. a. A rung of a ladder. Cf. stave n.² 3a. Now rare. ΘΚΠ society > occupation and work > equipment > ladder > [noun] > rung or step stepc1000 gangOE stavec1175 tine?c1225 ladder stalea1250 degreec1290 rungc1300 staffc1325 stairc1400 ladder stavec1440 scalec1440 roundc1450 stakec1450 sprang1527 staver1534 rundle1565 rave1566 roundel1585 rondel1616 ladder rung1620 rowel1652 spokea1658 stower1674 stale1714 rim1788 tread1838 through1899 step iron1912 c1175 ( Ælfric's Homily on Nativity of Christ (Bodl. 343) in A. O. Belfour 12th Cent. Homilies in MS Bodl. 343 (1909) 80 He bið ilic þam men þe..astihð þonne uppon þære læddrestæfæ [OE Julius hlæddre stapum]..& wule þonne stiȝan ufor butan stafæ [OE Julius buton stapum]. c1450 (?a1400) Wars Alexander (Ashm.) l. 1438 On ilka staffe of a staire..stike wald a cluster. a1500 (?a1450) Gesta Romanorum (BL Add. 9066) (1879) 367 Lete vs assende vp..by the goldyn laddere; of the which the fyrste staffe is contricion of herte. 1563 2nd Tome Homelyes Repentance ii. 279 The first staffe or steppe of this ladder. 1657 J. Watts Scribe, Pharisee iii. 99 They fall off the Ladder at the lower staffe or step again. 1800 Porcupine 29 Nov. As a plumber and glazier..was descending from a house..by a ladder which had lost a staff, he missed his step, and fell. 1897 Hastings & St. Leonards (E. Sussex) Observer 9 Oct. 4/5 Farming Stock & Effects... 2-horse cylinder roll, 28-staff ladder, corn bushel, &c. 2011 B. R. Mehta Folk Tales from Multan i. 18 You have put your hand on this wooden staff of the ladder. b. Each of a number of horizontal bars or rods in a loom; esp. each of the bars or which bear the heddles and may be raised or lowered to change the shed. Now rare.Stave is now the more common term in this sense, although it is not always clear which word is represented by the plural form staves; see stave n.² 3b. ΘΚΠ the world > textiles and clothing > textiles > textile manufacture > manufacture textile fabric or that which consists of > manufacture of textile fabric > [noun] > weaving > loom > other parts studdlelOE staff1338 trendle14.. trindle1483 cylinder?a1560 harness1572 mail1731 mounture1731 leaf1807 march1807 dropbox1823 neck-twine1827 mounting1835 shaft1839 Jack1848 selvage-protector1863 serpent1878 take-up motiona1884 swell1894 1338 in Dugdale's Monasticon Anglicanum (1819) II. 585/2 Item pro weblomes emptis xx^s. Et pro staves ad easdem vj^d. 1797 Encycl. Brit. XVIII. 835/1 The lams..or, as they are called in some parts of Scotland, the hiddles, and in others the staves. 1864 Brit. Patent 515 4 A heald formed of a single heald twine running from staff to staff, and consolidated at its extremities by means of a foundation cord. 1982 Abstracts in German Anthropol. 4 §82-223 The dividing staffs are inserted, the heddle staff is twisted in and fixed. c. Each of the thin, narrow, shaped lengths of wood which are fitted together to make the sides of a wooden barrel, bucket, etc. Now rare.The more usual term in this sense is now stave: see stave n.² 4a. ΘΚΠ society > occupation and work > equipment > receptacle or container > vessel > barrel or cask > [noun] > stave stavea1398 staff1531 stap1587 bung-stave1860 society > occupation and work > materials > raw material > wood > wood in specific form > [noun] > strip of wood > for making casks or vessels stavea1398 staff1531 barrel stave1549 hogshead stavec1580 pipe stavec1580 lag1659 laggin1825 noggin-stave1855 staver1891 a1398 J. Trevisa tr. Bartholomaeus Anglicus De Proprietatibus Rerum (BL Add. 27944) (1975) II. xix. cxxviii. 1376 Dolium ‘a tonne’ is an holowȝ vessel and..it is ymade of many bordes and tonne staues craftyliche ybounde togidres. 1531–2 Act 23 Hen. VIII c. 4 §8 If any personne..do mynysshe..any maner of barrell..by reason of..takyng oute of any Staffe out or frome any suche vessell. 1599 T. Dallam Diary in J. T. Bent Early Voy. Levant (1893) i. 35 Ther weare marvalus greate peecis that weare made of hammered Iron, everie stafe at the leaste 3 inches square, and houped aboute lyke a barrell. 1675 H. Neville tr. N. Machiavelli Art of War ii. ix, in tr. N. Machiavelli Wks. 460 The Soldiers..fall immediately into their ranks, as easily as we put together the Staffes of a barrel when we have marked them before. 1770 C. Hutton Treat. Mensuration ii. vii. 539 The sides or edges of each staff of a cask..are made tapering in a streight line. 1853 F. Baraga Dict. Otchipwe Lang. 616/2 Staff, for a barrel, etc. 1999 P. A. Laplante Comprehensive Dict. Electr. Engin. 53/1 The appearance of these vertical lines is similar to the staffs of a barrel. †d. Each of a number of rods or rails forming the bars of a cage, the body of a cart, etc. Obsolete. ΘΚΠ society > occupation and work > equipment > other specific types of equipment > [noun] > other tools and equipment pollhache1324 poleaxe1356 muckrake1366 pestlea1382 botea1450 staff1459 press-board1558 reel1593 water crane1658 lathekin1659 tower1662 dressing hook1683 liner1683 hovel1686 flax-brake1688 nipper1688 horse1728 tap1797 feather-stick1824 bow1839 safety belt1840 economizer1841 throttle damper1849 cleat1854 leg brace1857 bark-peeler1862 pugging screw1862 nail driver1863 spool1864 turntable1865 ovate1872 tension bar1879 icebreaker1881 spreader1881 toucher1881 window pole1888 mushroom head1890 rat1894 slackline1896 auger1897 latch hook1900 thimble1901 horse1904 pipe jack1909 mulcher1910 hand plate1911 splashguard1917 cheese-cutter1927 airbrasive1945 impactor1945 fogger1946 1459 Inventory Fastolf's Goods in Paston Lett. (1904) III. 167 Item, j. roste iron with vij. staves. ?1523 J. Fitzherbert Bk. Husbandry f. xlvii If any gate be broken downe, or want any staues. ?1530 J. Fitzherbert Bk. Husbandry (rev. ed.) f. xxxi^v Make standynge cratches to cast theyr fodder in, and the staues set nyghe ynough to gyder for pullynge theyr fodder to hastely out. 1601 P. Holland tr. Pliny Hist. World II. xxx. x. 388 The staves and windings, whereof the said cages are made. 1688 R. Holme Acad. Armory iii. viii. 339/2 The two Cart Raers, the Railes on the Cart top. The Cart Staves, are those that hold the Cart & the Raers together, which maketh the Cart Body. †e. Each of the spokes of a wheel. Obsolete. ΘΚΠ society > occupation and work > equipment > machine > parts of machines > wheel > [noun] > parts of wheels > spoke spokec888 burela1300 speke?a1400 staff1642 spar1688 1567 G. Fenton tr. M. Bandello Certaine Tragicall Disc. f. 288 So fortune, disposed to compassion..lent hym a meane to clymbe the higheste staffe of her wheele. 1642 D. Rogers Naaman 296 As then the spokes and staves cannot be wanting to a wheele. 1676 D. Decoisnon tr. U. Chevreau Mirror of Fortune ii. vi.179 Looking attentively upon this wheel, I perceived that the highest staff of it, became the lowest, in an instant, by its turning. †f. Mechanics. Each of the set of equally-spaced parallel bars fixed between two discs to form a trundle (trundle n. 2); = stave n.² 3c. Obsolete. ΘΚΠ society > occupation and work > equipment > machine > parts of machines > wheel > [noun] > parts of wheels > tooth coga1250 tooth?1523 sprocket1655 staff1659 leaf1675 wrong1688 round1731 wrist1864 whelp1875 wrist-pin1875 pinion leaf1881 1659 J. Leak tr. I. de Caus New Inventions Water-works 18 Near the end, there is..a Lanthorn or Pinion of 12. Staves. 1764 J. Ferguson Lect. Select Subj. iv. 45 As every cog comes to the trundle, it will take the next staff or round behind the one which it took in the former revolution. 1805 D. Brewster Ferguson's Lect. I. 82 (note) The cylindrical bars of trundles..are called staves, or rounds. 1825 ‘J. Nicholson’ Operative Mechanic 24 The semi-diameter of a staff of the trundle. 9. Heraldry. a. A representation of a stick or staff. Formerly sometimes also applied to a narrow form of the bend sinister; = baton n. 3 (cf. fissure n. 2c).Attested earliest in ragged staff n. 1. ΘΚΠ society > communication > indication > insignia > heraldic devices collective > charge: device on shield > [noun] > charge of simplest or commonest kind > band crossing shield diagonally > running from top right to bottom left > of quarter width bastonc1425 fissure1486 staff1486 batoon1562 fillet1572 baton1816 1397 Inquisition Misc. (P.R.O.: C 145/266/12) j lectus cum integr. celur. de blod. Satyn embroidat. cum ragget staues in j nigr. plake de veluet. 1486 Blasyng of Armys sig. evii^v, in Bk. St. Albans Ther be fyssuris or stauys playn, ingradyt, inueckyt, and fusyllatit..And theys stauys bastardys ar wont to bere..And then thys fyssure is calde a staffe. 1688 R. Holme Acad. Armory 147/2 A bear in Bend Sinister, supporting a bowed Staff. 1733 W. Sliford Court Reg. 33 It is called the Green-Cloth, from the Green Cloth whereat they sit, over which are the Arms of the Compting-house, being Vert, a Key and a Rod Or, a Staff in Saltire Argent. 1780 J. Edmondson Compl. Body Heraldry II. (Gloss.) Fissure, is the fourth part of a bend sinister, and is by some called a Staff. 1874 J. W. Papworth & A. W. Morant Alphabet. Dict. Coats of Arms 1096/1 Arg. a hawk ppr...standing on a staff couped and raguled vert. 1900 J. B. Paul Heraldry in relation to Sc. Hist. & Art v. 173 The knight wields a staff raguly, which he brandishes over his shoulder. 1992 D. R. Mandich & J. A. Placek Russian Heraldry & Nobility 50 Dubliansky... Azure, in bend a standard, draped over the staff argent its banner dejectant gules. b. Each of the rays of a carbuncle (carbuncle n. 2). Cf. sense 8e. Now rare. ΘΠ society > communication > indication > insignia > heraldic devices collective > other heraldic representations > [noun] > carbuncle > ray of staff1610 1610 J. Guillim Display of Heraldrie iii. vi. 102 The Field is Ruby, a Chief pearle, ouer all an Escarbuncle of eight staues. 1748 P. Morant Hist. & Antiq. Colchester ii. 36/2 The Arms of St John's Abbey were, Gules, a Cross within a bordure, or; over all, a Carbuncle of eight staves, sable, fleury argent. 1847 H. Gough Gloss. Terms Brit. Heraldry 294 Staff, a word applied by some to the rays of an escarbuncle, and the spokes of a wheel. 1962 H. Allcock Heraldic Design 22 The escarbuncle..consists of eight decorated iron bands or staves radiating from a central boss. †10. An enclosure or plot of pasture ground. Cf. staff-acre n. at Compounds 1b. Obsolete. rare.In quot. 1427, perhaps used as a measure of land. ΘΚΠ the world > food and drink > farming > farm > farmland > grassland > [noun] > pasture > enclosed pasture ham901 green yard1418 pasture field1464 ward1473 butt1542 paddock1547 septuma1552 staff1786 camp1877 night paddock1922 run-off1933 1427 in M. T. Löfvenberg Contrib. Middle Eng. Lexicogr. & Etymol. (1946) 62 (MED) [Three] staves [of meadow and 7 acres of land]. 1786 Jackson's Oxf. Jrnl. 3 June 1/3 A Ham or Staff of rich Meadow Ground, in Kelmscott, containing ten Acres and a Half. 11. A length of wood cut in preparation for being made into a bow; (later also) the flexible wooden part of a longbow or similar weapon. Cf. stave n.² 1.Recorded earliest in bowstaff n., although perhaps attested earlier in staff-maker: see quot. ?1416 at Compounds 1a(a). ΘΚΠ society > armed hostility > military equipment > production and development of arms > [noun] > process in bow- or arrow-making > material for bows yewOE bowstaff1436 bois d'arc1805 bow-wood1805 stave1891 society > occupation and work > materials > raw material > wood > [noun] > wood for making bows yewOE bowstaff1436 staff1545 bow-sting1551 bow-wood1805 society > armed hostility > military equipment > weapon > device for discharging missiles > archer's weapons > [noun] > bow > wooden part bow-tree?1506 a1450 ( Libel Eng. Policy (Laud) in T. Wright Polit. Poems & Songs (1861) II. 171 Now bere and bacon bene fro Pruse ibroughte..coppre, bow-staffes, stile, and wex. 1688 R. Holme Acad. Armory iii. 105/2 A Staff, the first cleeving out of the Timber, to make the Shaft. 1900 Boy's Own Paper 16 June 587/3 His wife gives the finishing touches to the staff of a bow with a piece of broken glass, which shaves the bamboo off in beautiful tender curls. 2020 M. P. Meyer Archery & Human Condition i. 28 Imagine that these two poles are the opposite ends of the staff of a bow. †12. Agriculture. A bundle of teasel heads bound together after harvesting and drying, typically in order to be sold for use in cloth manufacture; = stave n.² 6. Cf. row n.¹ 10. Obsolete.The number of heads considered to constitute a staff varies locally and depending on the grade or size of the heads. ΘΚΠ the world > space > relative position > arrangement or fact of being arranged > state of being gathered together > an assemblage or collection > [noun] > bundle > of teasel-heads stave1707 row1792 the world > textiles and clothing > textiles > textile manufacture > manufacture textile fabric or that which consists of > manufacture of textile fabric > treating or processing textile fabric > [noun] > putting nap on > teazle > bundle of staff1794 1559 in J. M. Bestall & D. V. Fowkes Chesterfield Wills & Inventories 1521–1603 (1977) 89 2 payre of shetes and 2 table clothes..staves of taselles. 1794 Gen. View Agric. Essex (Messrs. Griggs) 19 These heads [of teasel] are..bound up in small bunches, or gleans, of five and twenty heads each; the like number of which bunches, or gleans, constitute half a staff; which, after a few days sun, to harden and dry them, are tied together upon a stick or staff, of two feet and a half long, and in this form, carried to market. 1833 Jrnl. Franklin Instit. Mar. 208 The common produce is about one hundred and sixty bundles or staffs per acre. 1855 J. C. Morton Cycl. Agric. II. 955/1 A pack contains forty staves, each staff twenty to twenty-five handsful, each handful from twenty-five to twenty heads. 1855 J. C. Morton Cycl. Agric. II. (Gloss.) 1126/2 Staff, of teazles (Essex), 50 bunches, or gleans of 25 each = 1250. (Gloucesters.), 25 glens of 20 = 500; of kings, 30 glens of 10 = 300. 13. The penis.In quot. 1602 with punning reference to a constable's staff; cf. sense 4a. ΘΠ the world > life > the body > sex organs > male sex organs > [noun] > penis weapona1000 tarsec1000 pintleOE cock?c1335 pillicock?c1335 yard1379 arrowa1382 looma1400 vergea1400 instrumentc1405 fidcocka1475 privya1500 virile member (or yard)?1541 prickc1555 tool1563 pillock1568 penis1578 codpiece1584 needle1592 bauble1593 dildo1597 nag1598 virility1598 ferret1599 rubigo?a1600 Jack1604 mentula1605 virge1608 prependent1610 flute1611 other thing1628 engine1634 manhood1640 cod1650 quillity1653 rammer1653 runnion1655 pego1663 sex1664 propagator1670 membrum virile1672 nervea1680 whore-pipe1684 Roger1689 pudding1693 handle?1731 machine1749 shaft1772 jock1790 poker1811 dickyc1815 Johnny?1833 organ1833 intromittent apparatus1836 root1846 Johnson1863 Peter1870 John Henry1874 dickc1890 dingusc1890 John Thomasc1890 old fellowc1890 Aaron's rod1891 dingle-dangle1893 middle leg1896 mole1896 pisser1896 micky1898 baby-maker1902 old man1902 pecker1902 pizzle1902 willy1905 ding-dong1906 mickey1909 pencil1916 dingbatc1920 plonkerc1920 Johna1922 whangera1922 knob1922 tube1922 ding1926 pee-pee1927 prong1927 pud1927 hose1928 whang1928 dong1930 putz1934 porkc1935 wiener1935 weenie1939 length1949 tadger1949 winkle1951 dinger1953 winky1954 dork1961 virilia1962 rig1964 wee-wee1964 Percy1965 meat tool1966 chopper1967 schlong1967 swipe1967 chode1968 trouser snake1968 ding-a-ling1969 dipstick1970 tonk1970 noonies1972 salami1977 monkey1978 langer1983 wanker1987 1602 T. Dekker Blurt Master-Constable sig. H Right Sir, this is the whoore-house, heere hee calles and sets in his staffe. 1660 Wandring Whore Continued No. 2. 8 I fear the foul disease is so deeply rooted in her rotten husband, (as appears by his staff since he was at Enfield,) that he will shortly be put in the Bill of Mortality. 1880 Pearl Oct. 104 Isabel commenced playing with my staff. 1904 Lustful Mem. Young & Passionated Girl 15 Abner unbuttoned his pants and took out his staff. 1980 Maledicta 4 163 Said his girl with a laugh, As she fingered his staff, ‘Well, this won't be much of a sin.’ †14. A group or set of birds. a. Cockfighting. A group or set of fighting cocks (sometimes defined as four birds, or later often as a pair). Obsolete. ΘΚΠ the world > animals > birds > order Falconiformes (falcons, etc.) > family Accipitridae (hawks, etc.) > [noun] > hawk > set of three staff1688 the world > animals > birds > order Galliformes (fowls) > family Phasianidae (pheasants, etc.) > hen or cock > [noun] > cock > pair of staff1688 1688 R. Holme Acad. Armory ii. 252/2 The fighting of four staves of Cocks (or 16 Cocks) two & two at a time, which makes 8 Battles. 1691 J. Ray S. & E. Country Words in Coll. Eng. Words (ed. 2) 115 A Staffe of Cocks, a pair of Cocks. 1705 W. Machrie Ess. Royal Recreation & Art Cocking 28 Among Cockers four are termed a Staff of Cocks. 1739 Belfast News Let. 13 Mar. Mr. M. Donnell's Side..has..sent a Challenge to some Cockers in the County of Derry, to shew six Staff of Cocks, on the second Day of April next. 1790 F. Grose Provinc. Gloss. (ed. 2) A staffe of cocks; a pair of cocks. b. A group of three hawks. Cf. leash n. 2. Obsolete. Π 1688 R. Holme Acad. Armory ii. 311/1 Three a staff of Hawks. 15. A length of wood or another material inscribed with symbols or alphabetic characters (typically runes), sometimes functioning as a calendar or having a divinatory purpose. Cf. stave n.² 8, rune-staff n. Π 1705 Philos. Trans. 1704–05 (Royal Soc.) 24 2058 John Buraeus, a Swede..began..laboriously to gather them [sc. Runick Letters] from Astronomical Staffs, and the most ancient Rocks of Sweden. 1770 T. Percy tr. P. H. Mallet Northern Antiq. I. xiii. 358 A kind of calendars, which they called Runic staffs. 1877 Fraser’s Mag. May 619/1 I cannot read the runic staff you brought. 1937 Folklore 48 415 The second [article] describes a ‘calendar staff’ of unknown provenance. 2005 D. King Finding Atlantis vi. 80 One illiterate man taught him to use medieval runic staffs to predict celestial phenomena. 16. As a unit of length, esp. (English regional (Devon)) one equivalent to half a rod (rod n.¹ 8a). Now historical. ΘΚΠ the world > relative properties > measurement > measurement of length > [noun] > units of length or distance > length of foot > nine feet staff1796 1796 W. Marshall Provincialisms W. Devonshire in Rural Econ. W. Eng. I. 330 Staff, a measure of nine feet; half a customary rod. 1875 Rep. & Trans. Devonshire Assoc. 7 547 ‘Staff’ is used about Torquay as a name for 8.25 feet, half a rod. 1953 Math. Gaz. 37 103 (note) The staff is a sexpeda... 5 perches ≡ 10 rods ≡ 20 staves. 17. Building. a. A piece of wood or strip of beading fixed vertically along the edge of an exposed or projecting corner of an internal wall to protect or reinforce the plaster. Now rare (in later use only in angle-staff n.).See also staff angle n., staff bead n., staff moulding n. ΘΚΠ society > inhabiting and dwelling > inhabited place > a building > furniture and fittings > wallcovering > [noun] > vertical bead on exterior angle angle bead1799 staff1812 staff-bead1833 staff-angle1875 society > occupation and work > industry > building or constructing > constructing or working with wood > [noun] > wooden structures or wooden parts of > specific pieces of woodwork top-rail1679 sea-brace1776 angle bead1799 staff1812 angle-staff1825 warping1833 lipping1963 1812 P. Nicholson Mech. Exercises 202 Staff, a piece of wood fixed to the external angle of the two upright sides of a wall for floating the plaster to, and for defending the angle against accidents. 1940 Chambers's Techn. Dict. 35/1 Angle-staff,..a strip of wood placed at an external angle formed by plastered surfaces to protect the corner from damage. †b. A convex moulding or ornament resembling a rod or staff, esp. one used to fill the flutings at the base of a column or pilaster. Obsolete.See also staff moulding n. ΘΚΠ society > leisure > the arts > visual arts > architecture > column > [noun] > shaft of column > fluting > rope or staff rudenture1723 cabling1753 staff1817 1817 T. Rickman Attempt to discriminate Styles Eng. Archit. 95 The square pedestal of the pinnacle being set with an angle to the front, is continued down, and on each side is set a small buttress of a smaller face than this pedestal, thus leaving a small staff between them..this small staff at each set-off has the moulding to it. 1927 W. Verrall Mod. Plasterer II. v. 60 Sometimes these channels are filled by a staff which runs up to one-third of the height, and when this is the case such columns or pilasters are said to be cabled or reeded. II. A letter, verse, or musical staff. 18. †a. A written character; a letter. Also: (in plural) writing, written text. Cf. bookstaff n. Obsolete. ΘΚΠ society > communication > writing > written character > [noun] > letter staffc888 bookstaffOE Kc1000 Yc1000 Zc1000 AOE EOE GOE MOE ROE letterc1225 print1340 tawc1400 Wc1465 J1591 stave1866 alphabet1972 X- OE Ælfric Gram. (St. John's Oxf.) 4 Littera is stæf on englisc. OE Aldhelm Glosses (Brussels 1650) in L. Goossens Old Eng. Glosses of MS Brussels, Royal Libr. 1650 (1974) 276 [Quae] literarum apicibus [inserta leguntur] : gewrita litteris stricum uel stafum. OE tr. Bede Eccl. Hist. (Cambr. Univ. Libr.) v. xix. 468 Bæd he se cyning þone abbud, þæt he him sende trymmendlice stafas & gewrito [L. ut exhortatorias sibi litteras mitteret]. lOE King Ælfred tr. Boethius De Consol. Philos. (Bodl.) (2009) I. xix. 283 Hwæt is heora nu to lafe, butan se lytla hlisa & se nama mid feaum stafum awriten? c1175 Ormulum (Burchfield transcript) l. 16403–5 & off þatt name toc drihhtin. An staff. allfa. ȝehatenn. To timmbrenn till þe firrste mann Hiss name off stafess fowwre. †b. An engraved or inscribed mark. Obsolete. ΚΠ c1275 (?a1200) Laȝamon Brut (Calig.) (1978) l. 10555 Þer wes innen igrauen mid rede golde stauen. an on-licnes deore of Drihtenes moder. c. A straight line or stroke used in forming a runic letter or symbol; spec. a vertical or upright stroke extending the full height of the rune. Also: a runic symbol; a rune. Cf. stave n.² 12a, rune-stave n., roun-staff n. Π 1968 Language 44 630 The only conclusion remaining is that we have a bind-rune er in which the left staff of the e and the staff of the r coincide. 1975 E. H. Antonsen Conc. Gram. of Older Runic Inscriptions 7 A first glance at the runes reveals a basic distinction among those with two staffs, one staff, and no staff. 1984 Language 60 669/1 A verb falh—which, however, would have been written (falah), and would not fit the number of staffs visible on the stone. 2008 H. Williams in S. Brink & N. Price Viking World xxi. 282 The staveless runes (also called the Swedish or Hälsinge runes)..lack the main staff. 2011 Leeds Stud. Eng. 42 53 Various values are assigned to this staff in the English manuscript tradition. †19. a. A line of verse. Obsolete. ΘΚΠ society > leisure > the arts > literature > poetry > part of poem > [noun] > line versec900 staffc1450 line?1566 numeral1605 stich1723 stike- c1475 in Archiv f. das Studium der Neueren Sprachen (1900) 104 309 All be it the frenssh in foure staves be, The ynglissh sevyn kepith in degree. a1500 Partenay (Trin. Cambr.) l. 6555 (MED) As ny as metre can conclude sentence, Cereatly by rew in it haue I go Nerehande stafe by staf. c1540 Pilgrim's Tale 739 in F. Thynne Animaduersions (1875) App. i. 98 Thes .vi. stauis..Whiche be chaucers awn hand wark. b. A group of lines forming a section or division of a poem; a poetic verse; a stanza. Cf. baston n. 1. Obsolete. After the 18th cent. this sense is only recorded for the related word stave; see stave n.² 10. ΘΚΠ society > leisure > the arts > literature > poetry > part of poem > [noun] > stanza versec1308 baston?c1335 staff1533 stanza1589 couplement1594 stance1596 stave1659 strophe1895 st.- 1533 J. Heywood Play of Wether sig. Aiiii At thende of this staf the god hath a song played in his trone. 1575 G. Gascoigne Certayne Notes Instr. in Posies sig. U.j^v Rythme royall is a verse of tenne sillables, and seuen such verses make a staffe. 1607 R. C. tr. H. Estienne World of Wonders xxiv. 199 Huictain [glossed in margin as:] A staffe of eight verses. 1772 A. Adam Princ. Lat. & Eng. Gram. 209 Any one of these parts of a poem, in which the different kinds of verse are comprehended, when taken by itself, is called a Strophe, Stanza, or Staff. c. A verse or other section of a song. Obsolete.After the 18th cent. this sense is only recorded for the related word stave; see stave n.² 10. ΚΠ 1598 B. Yong tr. A. Pérez 2nd Pt. Diana in tr. J. de Montemayor Diana 257 These two last staeffs [sic] so liuely touched Parthenius that sung them. 1602 B. Jonson Poetaster ii. ii. sig. D^v I can sing but one staffe of the Dittie neither. View more context for this quotation 1643 A. Jackson Help Understanding Script. xv. 163 When the men had sung a verse or staff of the former song, then she with her women took her course, and sung it over again. 1739 tr. Marquis d'Argens Jewish Lett. I. xxxvii. 255 Louis issued a Decree by which all Poetasters were exempted of any Toll or Duty, &c. on reciting a Staff of a Song to the Toll-gatherers. 20. Music. A set of horizontal, parallel lines used in musical notation, the position of the head of each note relative to these lines and the spaces between them being indicative of the note's pitch.The number of lines included in a staff has varied over time. Although plainsong is notated using a staff of four lines, standard Western musical notation now has five, the pitches represented by each line or space of the staff being determined by the position and form of a clef (clef n.¹ a) written at the beginning. A set or system (system n. 1b) of two or more staffs written one above the other may be used where a wide range of pitches or several concurrent melodies or parts need to be represented, for example in piano or choral music.In British English, stave is the more common term in this sense (see stave n.² 11). ΘΚΠ society > leisure > the arts > music > written or printed music > notation > [noun] > stave scale1598 system1653 staff1654 stave1786 1654 J. Playford Breefe Introd. Skill Musick i. 3 But for Lessons for the Organ, Virginalls, or Harp two staves of six lines together are required. 1740 J. Grassineau tr. S. De Brossard Musical Dict. 55 He added five more chords or notes to it; laid them all down on a staff of five lines. 1782 C. Burney Gen. Hist. Music II. 87 The regular staff of four lines. 1854 A. N. Johnson Pract. Instr. Harmony liv. 196 It will be better for the student to use four staves in these exercises, placing the treble, alto, tenor and base [sic] each on a separate staff. 1929 Jrnl. Educ. 109 455/1 In the bass clef the note on the first line of the staff is C, while the note on the first line of the treble staff is E. 1955 Notes Sept. 658/1 There is no full score, but he condensed score is done in from three to five staffs. 2011 G. Mazzola et al. Musical Creativity xxiii. 253 For Joomi it is no problem to record the pitches for piano or another pitch-specifying instrument because the pitches could be shown with the exact information on the staff. III. A group of people employed to carry out the work of an organization, and related senses.In plural always staffs. 21. Military. a. Originally: the group of officers and other personnel who perform regimental duties rather than engaging in combat as a part of one of the regiment's companies, e.g. the quartermaster, provost, surgeon, chaplain, etc. From the late 18th cent.: a group of officers, along with other personnel, assisting and advising a commanding officer in matters of administration, planning, coordination of operations, etc.; (also) a group of officers and other personnel assigned to perform a specialist duty, e.g. the running of a military hospital. Cf. staff officer n. 1. ΘΚΠ society > armed hostility > warrior > soldier > leader or commander > officer or soldier of rank > [noun] > staff officer > staff of officers ordinary1526 generality1578 generalty1643 staff1781 état-major1805 headquarters1812 horse guards1826 higher command1842 high command1904 family1907 1632 tr. Swedish Discipline iii. 78 The Regiment-Staffe, consists of such as are necessary people to the Regiment, notwithstanding their office be not to fight: of which the Quarter-master is the first, and the Hangman the last. 1637 R. Monro Exped. Scots Regim. i. 42 The Colonells company and Sr. Patrick Mac-Geys with the staffe, were quartered with me in Marbo. 1683 J. Turner Pallas Armata iii. xi. 223 A Regiment thus composed of ten Companies hath Officers (besides those of Companies already describ'd) whose charges belong equally to all the ten, those are called Officers of the Staff. 1746 Jrnls. House of Commons 22 Jan. (1803) 25 248/2 Seven hundred Ninety-one Men strong, comprehending the great and small Staff of the Regiments. 1781 T. Simes Mil. Guide (ed. 3) 7 The Staff properly exists only in the time of war. 1795 in Ld. Auckland's Corr. (1862) III. 328 My destiny is finally to act on the staff in the island of Corsica. 1801 Med. & Physical Jrnl. 5 185 The Medical Staff of the Armies acting in the West Indies. 1844 Queen's Regulations & Orders Army 5 Any Officer of the Regimental Staff. 1915 D. Haig Diary 18 Apr. in War Diaries & Lett. 1914–18 (2005) 116 Davies had told me privately that neither he nor his Staff had full confidence in Rawlinson. 1941 E. Snow Scorched Earth ii. iv. 60 The ‘scorched-earth’ policy was credited to General Pai Tsung-hsi, the ablest strategist on Chiang's staff. 2003 D. Lipsky Absolutely Amer. ii. 122 Cadets can also try out for glory positions on regimental or brigade staff. b. Chiefly with capital initial. Short for staff sergeant n. Frequently as a form of address. ΘΚΠ society > armed hostility > warrior > soldier > leader or commander > officer by rank > [noun] > sergeant > types of havildar1698 muster-master1711 staff sergeant1811 lance-sergeant1815 master sergeant1920 staff1925 1925 E. Fraser & J. Gibbons Soldier & Sailor Words 269 Staff, staff-sergeant. 1943 Yank 8 Oct. 15 If all staffs are as shallow minded as this one, buck privates at the front are worth 10 staffs back home. 1965 ‘J. le Carré’ Looking-glass War xii. 136 ‘You call me “Staff”,’ the instructor said. 1978 J. Barnett Head of Force x. 88 I worked with Staff Gredek... The Staff was in charge of the depot. 2010 R. Stuart Egyptian Escapade xxv. 145 The NCO bristled and said, ‘Don't sir me boy! I am a staff sargeant, Staff Sargeant Evans and don't you forget it.’ Adam nodded enthusiastically and said, ‘Yes Staff!’ 22. a. gen. A group of people who are employed to carry out the work of a particular organization, institution, etc.; the personnel who are charged with assisting a director, executive, etc., in carrying out a specific enterprise or project. ΘΚΠ society > occupation and work > worker > workers according to conditions > [noun] > employee > collectively personal1818 personnel1819 staff1837 stab1864 staff-room1925 staff1955 liveware1966 1837 T. Carlyle French Revol. II. v. v. 309 Subterranean Rivarol has Fifteen Hundred men in King's pay,..what he calls ‘a staff of genius’: Paragraph-writers, Placard-Journalists;..one of the strangest Staffs ever commanded by man. 1848 W. E. Horner Introd. Lect. Anat. Class Univ. Pennsylvania 22 The medical staff consists of one director, one vice-director, twelve principal physicians, [etc.]. 1875 J. W. Dawson Life's Dawn on Earth iii. 38 One of the explorers on the staff of the Survey. 1894 A. Conan Doyle Mem. Sherlock Holmes 149 A coachman and two maids form the staff of servants. 1906 Science 14 Sept. 335/2 The principle on which almost all hospitals in this country are run, namely, the selection of local men only to serve on their staffs. 1930 Daily Mail 21 Aug. 10/7 By the end of the year the Midland Bank will have mechanised 120 branches—all with a staff of 15 or more. 1973 Sci. Amer. Oct. 14/2 [He] is referent for pre-history and Near eastern archaeology on the staff of the German Archaeological Institute in Istanbul. 2014 T. Gevinson Rookie Yearbk. 3 Acknowl. 9/1 Thank you to... Our incredible staff of editors, writers, photographers, and illustrators. b. In singular, with plural agreement. The employees who make up a particular staff or workforce.In later use (chiefly in British usage) often preceded by a number or another modifier indicating the size of the staff; in this use a development from noun phrases in sense 22a in which the size is indicated after of (see, e.g., quot. 1930 at that sense), but later sometimes interpreted as an unchanged plural (cf. sense 24). Π 1878 M. Arnold in Fortn. Rev. Nov. 593 The teaching staff have to furnish guarantees of their capacity to teach the matters of instruction confided to them. 1933 Sunday Times 21 May 17/7 A man registered yesterday under the name of ‘Mr. Thomas’, and the staff say that he spent the night pacing his room. 1955 Times 10 May 17/4 A continuing supply of higher technical staff. 1970 Daily Tel. 4 May 2/4 A Yorkshire factory with 250 staff, nearly all women. 2009 Independent on Sunday 28 June (New Review) 10/3 Funding is fragile; the tiny team of four full-time staff..depends largely on local benefactors. 2021 R. Clarke Breathtaking v. 109 In the ICU, staff have been told to prepare for a total number of intubated Covid patients at any one time that might reach 150. 23. spec. a. The people who are employed to work in a place, as opposed to the people with whom they deal, such as customers, patients, etc.; (in British use often) the teachers and other teaching personnel in a school or college, as opposed to the pupils. Π 1848 Times 6 Mar. 8/3 The staff and pupils of the Polytechnic School. 1936 Devon & Exeter Gaz. 7 Aug. 17 The close personal relationships between staff and patients. 1986 B. Gilroy Frangipani House vi. 24 Both staff and inmates felt release and showed it by discussing the afternoon's happenings. 1988 M. Hocking Irrelevant Woman (1989) vii. 104 At our school there is an undeclared war between staff and pupils. 2021 Nelson (Brit. Columbia) Star (Nexis) 8 Nov. Vaccination is only required for staff, not guests. b. With reference to various specific subdivisions of the employees of an organization, esp. a business: (a) employees responsible for providing technical and advisory services, as opposed to line managers and their reports (cf. line n.² 19d); (b) employees earning a salary as opposed to being paid a wage (see salary n. 1); (c) ordinary workers, as opposed to management.Only sense 23b(c) is now in common use. ΘΚΠ society > occupation and work > worker > workers according to conditions > [noun] > employee > collectively > advisory staff1915 society > occupation and work > worker > workers according to conditions > [noun] > employee > who receives salary > collectively staff1915 salariat1918 1914 C. E. Knoeppel in Engin. Mag. (N.Y.) Apr. 66/1 He [sc. the engineer] decides to create an organization to be known as the ‘Staff’—advisory in nature and without jurisdiction over any of the line officials. 1923 O. Sheldon Philos. Managem. iv. 114 A ‘Staff and Line’ organization..is based upon a strict demarcation between thinking and doing; between the actual execution of production, which is the ‘Line’, and the business of analysing, testing, comparing, recording, making researches, co-ordinating information, and advising, which is the ‘Staff’. 1959 Manch. Guardian 24 July 6/6 The salaried staff have bought more shares than the payroll workers. 1980 Daily Tel. 16 Feb. 25/3 Almost all the major companies pay more [in redundancy payments] than the statutory minimum and generally staff will enjoy more generous benefits than shopfloor workers. 1990 Banking World Dec. 19/2 A more open and friendly atmosphere where customers have easier access to staff and management. 2022 Daily Guide Network (Ghana) (Nexis) 10 Feb. This would help restore staff confidence and improve the working relationship between staff and management. 24. As a count noun: an employee of a business, organization, etc.Chiefly in African and Asian varieties of English. ΘΚΠ society > occupation and work > worker > workers according to conditions > [noun] > employee employé1811 workhand1821 employe1835 employee1850 employée1862 permanent1863 staff1931 perm1945 staffer1950 hire1954 1931 E. M. Brent-Dyer Chalet School & Jo xvii. 220 You're almost a Staff, so that'll be all right. 1979 P. Nihalani et al. Indian & Brit. Eng. i. 166 The Director will introduce the new staff and ask him to say a few words. 2020 Daily Independent (Nigeria) (Nexis) 13 Dec. Organisations are either laying off their excess staffs, outsourcing some of their functions or have placed an embargo on the employment of new staffs. Phrases P1. †a. Proverbial phrases and sayings (chiefly in senses 1 and 4). Obsolete. Π a1300 in Englische Studien (1900) 31 8 Nim hund to godsep and anne staf in þire hond. a1350 in G. L. Brook Harley Lyrics (1968) 46 Nou is faren al my feh..a staf ys nou my stede. 1579 W. Fulke Heskins Parl. Repealed in D. Heskins Ouerthrowne 519 These be all as good reasons as y^t comon iest: The staffe standeth in the corner, therefore y^e good man is not at home. 1594 T. Nashe Vnfortunate Traveller sig. C^v I warrant you are made while you liue, you neede not care which waie your staffe falles. a1633 G. Herbert Outlandish Prov. (1640) sig. A2^v If yee would know a knave, give him a staffe. a1669 H. Foulis Hist. Romish Treasons (1671) ii. iv. 96 And though the Rule be but obscure, they are apt to take the staff by the wrong end, and apply it to their own pleasures. b. As the type of something long, thin, straight, or stiff, esp. in similes or comparisons. ΘΚΠ the world > life > the body > bodily shape or physique > slim shape or physique > [noun] > thin shape > person having staffc1405 notomy1487 rakea1529 crag1542 scrag1542 sneakbill1546 starveling1546 slim1548 ghost1590 bald-rib1598 bare-bone1598 bow-case1599 atomy1600 sneaksbill1602 thin-gut1602 anatomya1616 sharg1623 skeleton1630 raw-bone1635 living skeleton1650 strammel1706 scarecrow1711 rickle of bones1729 shargar1754 squeeze-crab1785 rack of bones1804 thread-paper1824 bag of bones1838 dry-bones1845 skinnymalink1870 hairpin1879 slim jim1889 skinny1907 underweight1910 asthenic1925 ectomorph1940 skinny-malinky1957 matchstick1959 c1405 (c1387–95) G. Chaucer Canterbury Tales Prol. (Hengwrt) (2003) l. 594 Ful longe weere hise legges and ful leene Ylik a staf ther was no calf yseene. 1669 A. Browne Ars Pictoria 75 A Dog tyed with a string about his Neck, which seemed to be so stretched, that it was as stiff as a staff, without any bowing. 1880 Idaho Avalanche 17 Jan. She can sit on a bronco as straight as a staff. 1890 J. Curtin Myths & Folk-lore of Ireland 35 He..found a small house, and inside an old woman..and every tooth in her head as long as a staff. 1924 Nottingham Evening Post 22 Jan. 5/3 Mr. Macdonald is sixty-six, tall, and straight as a staff. 2013 J. J. Kripal in A. D. DeConick & G. Adamson Hist. Hidden God (2014) xiii. 238 A special kind of snake is paralyzed by pressing a nerve on the back of its head. It just goes stiff as a staff. P2. Noun phrases. a. (a) staff of bread now rare (with the) bread (or food generally) considered as a necessity or means of supporting life (cf. sense 3). Chiefly in to break the staff of bread: to diminish or cut off the supply of food. Cf. bread n. 4a.Frequently (now only) with direct biblical reference or allusion. [In to break the staff of bread after post-classical Latin confringere baculum panis (Vulgate: Leviticus 26:26), itself ultimately after Hebrew šāḇar maṭṭēh leḥem; with staff of bread compare also post-classical Latin baculum panis (Vulgate: Ezekiel 4:16, 5:16), virga panis (Vulgate: Hebraic Psalter 104:16 and Ezekiel 14:13). Compare also Dutch staf des broods (1688).] ΘΠ the world > food and drink > food > providing or receiving food > supply with food [verb (intransitive)] > supply with provisions > cut off supply to break the staff of bread1382 a1382 Bible (Wycliffite, E.V.) (Bodl. 959) (1961) Lev. xxvi. 26 After þat y breke þe staaf of ȝoure breede, so þat..ȝe shal ete & not be folfulled. 1596 Bp. W. Barlow tr. L. Lavater Three Christian Serm. i. 121 God in his lawe threatneth that he will breake the staffe of bread, that is, bread shall not nourish them that eate it. a1631 J. Donne Ess. Divinity (1651) 215 When thou hadst almost broke the staff of bread, and called a famine of thy word almost upon all the world, then thou broughtest me into this Egypt, where thou hadst appointed thy stewards to husband thy blessings, and to feed thy stock. 1660 P. Simon Mensa Mystica Introd. sig. a 2 He is called the Bread of life, which came down from Heaven, as the manna in the wilderness, who is to support our souls, as the staff of bread doth our bodies. 1725 R. Nasmith Treat. upon Entail Covenant of Grace 289 The Person's Souls Life, its dependency on the Death of Christ, as his Natural Life depends on the Staff of Bread. 1836 Westmorland Gaz. & Kendal Advertiser 26 Nov. To introduce..a change..in the condition of those to whom the potato has been the only staff of bread. 1921 Aberdeen Jrnl. 27 July 4/3 Every field where the sheep have fed will soon be full of the edible mushrooms..They come to help stabilise the staff of bread. 1965 E. J. Young Bk. Isaiah (2001) I. 138 If the staff of bread be removed, destruction results. (b) staff of life (with the) (originally) bread considered or presented as a mainstay of the diet; (hence) any food presented as a staple in this way; (now also more generally) anything considered as essential or indispensable. ΘΠ the world > food and drink > food > qualities of food > [noun] > plain or ordinary food breadlOE bread and cheesea1556 staple1970 the world > food and drink > food > dishes and prepared food > bread > [noun] breadeOE loafc950 painc1400 pannam1567 the staff of life1638 batch1648 buster1835 rooty1846 breadstuff1856 needle and thread1859 punk1891 1607 R. Wilkinson Merchant Royall 28 Bread is the staffe of life. 1740 W. Seward Jrnl. Voy. from Savannah to Philadelphia 18 Wheat, which is the Staff of Life..is at 1s. 9d. Sterling per Bushel. 1860 All Year Round 3 Mar. 440 Barley bannocks and oat cake long remained the staff of life in villages in Scotland. 1913 Worker (Austral.) 21 Aug. 19/5 The men who make the ‘staff of life’ for the great city of London get 30s. for a 60-hour week. 1940 W. Willkie in East Liverpool (Ohio) Rev. 30 Sept. 3/5 Freedom of the press is the staff of life for any vital democracy. 2008 Science 11 July 184/1 Rice is the staff of life for 3 billion people. (c) staff and staple (with the) the most fundamental or basic constituent parts of something; the indispensable or essential elements. ΘΠ the mind > attention and judgement > importance > [noun] > that which is important > most important > part headeOE main1481 chiefty1552 main1567 principality1567 heart1584 the main of alla1591 main1595 masterpiece1612 stress1633 staple1826 node1860 staff and staple1869 meat1886 crux1888 business end1890 spear-head1929 1850 J. Leech Church-goer 2nd Ser. 119 A class of people who form the ‘staff and staple’ of an English rural population. 1869 Buckle's Hist. Civilisation Eng. (new ed.) II. 171 Events of this sort though neglected by ordinary historians are among the staff and staple of history. 1979 Jrnl. Marital & Family Therapy Oct. 115 Are not emotions the staff and staple of marriage? 2008 J. Steen Verse & Virtuosity iii. 38 How could this highly literary and allusive method of persuasion be turned into the staff and staple of vernacular verse? b. Staff of Government. †(a) figurative. The power of the monarch or another recognized authority to rule a nation or territory; (also) a person embodying this. Obsolete.Apparently after Isaiah 3:1–3.In quot. 1741 with reference to the appointment of Captain Greenhalgh as Governor of the Isle of Man by the Earl of Derby in 1640; cf. Phrases 2b(b). Π 1661 W. Cole Noah's Dove with her Olive-branch 5 Who shall repair the broken staff of Government? The Text answers him in a voice from God, I will restore thy Iudges, as at the first. 1661 J. Caryl Expos. 32nd–34th Chapters Job (xxxiv. 29) 746 He..will take away good Magistrates, who are as a staff and a stay, as a shield and a shelter to a Nation; he will break the stay and staff of Government, as he threatned (Isa. 3.1, 2.) 1696 Direct Road to Peace & Happiness in Church & State 19 Doth not this Popular way of Electing and makeing Clergy-men and Officers, put the Staff of Government out of the King's hand? 1741 J. Seacome Memoirs 91/1 He wou'd be Content to hold the Staff of Government untill I made choice of another. 1869 W. Harrison Mona Misc. 24 The lieutenant-governor [sc. of the Isle of Man], in his civil capacity, is ‘the staff of government’, and as such presides in all the legislative courts. (b) The court of appeal of the Isle of Man. Originally consisting of the officers of the Lord of Mann (after 1765, the reigning British monarch), esp. the Lieutenant Governor, before becoming a division of the new High Court of Justice of the Isle of Man in 1883. The Lieutenant Governor continued to sit on the court until 1921.In quot. a1700 abbreviated as the Staff. ΘΚΠ society > law > administration of justice > judicial body, assembly, or court > [noun] > high court > in Isle of Man Staff (of Government)a1700 a1700 34th Customary Law in J. Keble Life T. Wilson: Pt. II (1863) xvi. 511 No appeal shall be made from Church censures to the Staff, and none to be privileged from them.] 1702 W. Sacheverell Acct. Isle of Man 86 If any Person is aggriev'd by the Sentence of the Spiritual Court, he may Appeal to the Staff of Government, or the Lord. 1875 Isle of Man Times 3 July 3/7 This is an appeal against a judgment of the Court of the Staff of Government of the Isle of Man. 1947 Jrnl. Compar. Legislation & Internat. Law 29 25 A body of Income Tax Commissioners who shall sit when required to settle assessments, and from whom there shall be a right of appeal to the Staff of Government Division. 2010 Business Wire (Nexis) 29 Apr. On November 28, 2008, the Staff of Government reversed the High Court and ruled that the case should proceed in the Isle of Man. c. British. Railways. staff and ticket: used as a modifier, designating a system of preventing collisions on a single-track railway line, by which the train driver may be issued with a ticket authorizing the train to travel along the line without carrying the staff (see sense 7m) as long as the signalman at the beginning of the line shows the staff to the driver, the final train in that direction carrying the staff and no train being allowed to travel in the opposite direction until the staff arrives at the other end of the line; frequently in staff and ticket system. Now chiefly historical.This system was introduced in the late 1850s in order to allow multiple trains to pass in one direction at a time, whereas the earlier staff system only allowed a single train at a time. Tickets were often kept in a locked box to which the staff functioned as the key. ΘΚΠ society > travel > rail travel > railway system or organization > [noun] > system for use of single track staff and ticket1887 staff system1887 1861 W. Yolland Let. 9 Nov. in Rep. Inspecting Officers Certain Accidents occurred on Railways Pt. VI (1862) 124/1 in Parl. Papers (H.C. 2922) LIII. 121 The West Midland Railway Company gave a satisfactory undertaking as to the mode of working the traffic, which, I was informed, was to be on the train staff and ticket system.] 1873 Rep. Select Comm. House of Lords Regulation of Railways Bill 51 in Parl. Papers (H.C. 148) XIV. 421 There are really two systems of staff working; one is the staff only, and the other is what is called the staff and ticket system. 1936 Sunday Times 9 Feb. (London Late ed.) 26/5 The present telephonic connections between stations and the ‘staff and ticket’ method of working the line are being retained. 2019 P. Deeves All Aboard! 13/2 To get around this problem, a staff and ticket system was used. P3. Adverbial phrases. †a. Scots Law. by staff and baton and variants: a legal formula typically used to resign land or other possessions to a feudal superior. Cf. by the rod. Obsolete.Earliest in the form by staff and baston: see baston n. 2a. ΘΚΠ society > law > transfer of property > types of transfer > [phrase] > formula in resigning feu by staff and baton1499 1384 W. Marschal Let. 8 Nov. in Misc. Sc. Hist. Soc. (1933) V. 33 Richart Jonsoun whilum lard of a quarter of Colstoun..resignit and vp gaf..be staf and bastoun al the rycht that he had or mycht haf of the forsayd quarter of Colstoun. 1385 in W. Fraser Red Bk. Grandtully (1868) I. 139 Syr Robart..throw vertu of the forsayde obligacyoun..vpgefe, wyth staf and styk, to the forsayde John the landys before nemnyt. c1540 J. Bellenden tr. H. Boece Hyst. & Cron. Scotl. xiv. iii. f. ccv^v/2 Iohne Balliol..resignit all richt & titill..to y^e croun of scotland, be staf and burdoun in king Edwardis handis. 1642 in J. R. N. Macphail Papers Sir William Fraser (1924) 241 Be staff & battoun as use is. 1762 in Minutes of Evid. Nairne Peerage (1873) 92 in Sessional Papers House of Lords (H.L. A) XII. 65 To resign surrender overgive and deliver duely and lawfully by staff and baton as use is all and haill the foresaids parts and portions of his baronies. 1881 J. Russell Haigs of Bemersyde v. 102 The Great Chamberlain..surrendered by staff and baton the estates of the elder Haig of Bemersyde into the hands of the King. †b. from the staff to the corner (also from the corner to the staff): from one issue or subject to another unrelated one. Obsolete.Used to suggest that a discussion, argument, conclusion, etc., is illogical, spurious, or fallacious. [After post-classical Latin a baculo ad angulum (1535 in Luther), with reference to the phrase baculus stat in angulo ‘the staff stands in the corner’ (c1400 or earlier) used in examples of unsound reasoning in medieval treatises on logic.] ΘΚΠ the mind > attention and judgement > testing > debate, disputation, argument > putting forward for discussion > put forward for discussion [verb (intransitive)] > change course to argue from the staff to the corner1656 1581 J. Bell tr. W. Haddon & J. Foxe Against Jerome Osorius ii. f. 84^v A very new founde and straunge maner of Argument, framed perhappes after the rule which concludeth from the staffe to the corner [L. a baculo ad angulum]. 1588 J. Penry Def. Ignorant Ministerie 45 So fit to the purpose, of edification, as the reason from the corner to the staffe, is soundly concluded. 1656 J. Bramhall Replic. to Bishop of Chalcedon ii. 107 This is an argument from the Staffe to the Corner. I speak of a succession of holy Orders, and he of a succession of Opinions. 1682 P. Walsh Reply Person of Quality's Answer 20 Must it not follow therefore, that our Person of Quality's Conclusion is from the Staffe to the Corner (as they say)? †c. at (the) staff's end and variants: at a distance; in a distant or remote position; esp. (figurative) on distant, remote, or unfriendly terms. Chiefly in to keep (a person) at staff's end; similarly to stand at the staff's end: to remain distant or remote from a person or thing. Cf. at the stave's end at stave n.² Phrases 1. Obsolete.Early examples show the genitive form staves; compare discussion in etymology section. ΘΚΠ the world > action or operation > behaviour > bad behaviour > discourtesy > [phrase] > not affable at (the) staves end (also staff-endc1374 a thumb under the girdle1607 a1450 (c1375) G. Chaucer Anelida & Arcite (Tanner 346) (1878) l. 184 This new lady holdeth vp [c1450 Fairf. 16 him vp] so narow vp bi the brydell atte the staues ende That euery worde he dred hit as an arow. 1546 J. Heywood Dialogue Prouerbes Eng. Tongue i. xi. sig. Eii^v And now without theim, I lyue here at staues ende. 1650 I. Ambrose Ultima 193 (Whosoever they are) that stand at the staffs end, he desires them to lay aside their weapons and come in. a1780 A. Shirrefs Poems (1790) 215 Fowks that ha'e power to mak' an' men', Sud keep sic lads at the staff-en'. 1880 University Mag. (Dublin) Apr. 466/1 For God's sake keep the donor of your liquid at staff's end; a whole district of hell must have been boiled down to make that bottleful. 1890 W. S. Ross Roses & Rue 29 With quiet dignity, he keeps them at staff's end. P4. Other phrases. †a. In various phrases indicating that a person's troubles or misfortunes are a result of their own actions, as to make a staff for one's own head, to make a staff to strike oneself down, to beat oneself with one's own staff. Cf. to make a rod for one's own back at rod n.¹ 1b. Obsolete.Attested earlier with the form staue: cf. stave n.² 2. ΘΠ society > authority > punishment > [verb (intransitive)] > bring about punishment for oneself to make a rod for one's own back (also oneself)a1393 a1400 (a1325) Cursor Mundi (Vesp.) l. 7322 Þat þai desire, þai sal it haue, To þair aun heued a staue.] ?c1450 tr. Bk. Knight of La Tour Landry (1906) 21 And sum saide it hadd be beter for her to holde her pees..and that she had bete her selff with her owne staffe. ?1507 W. Dunbar Tua Mariit Wemen (Rouen) in Poems (1998) I. 51 All thus enforsit he his fa..And maid a stalwart staff to strik him selfe doune. 1618 G. Mynshul Ess. Prison 12 Thou dost..get a staffe to breake thy owne head, and lay a snare which thou thy selfe shalt fall into. 1856 Elgin Courant 5 Sept. 5/1 Many a one makes a staff to break his own head. †b. to have (also get) the worse end of the staff and variants: to find oneself in a comparatively unfavourable position in a situation, contest, bargain, etc. Similarly, to have (also get) the better end of the staff and variants. Cf. stick n.¹ Phrases 6. Obsolete. ΘΚΠ the world > action or operation > prosperity > success > mastery or superiority > have or gain mastery, superiority, or advantage [verb (intransitive)] risec1175 to have the higher handa1225 to have the besta1393 bettera1400 vaila1400 to win or achieve a checka1400 surmount1400 prevaila1425 to have (also get) the better handa1470 to go away with it1489 to have the besta1500 to have (also get, etc.) the better (or worse) end of the staff1542 to have ita1616 to have (also get) the laugh on one's side1672 top1718 beat1744 to get (also have) the right end of the stick1817 to have the best of1846 to go one better1856 the world > action or operation > harm or detriment > disadvantage > be disadvantageous [verb (intransitive)] > have disadvantage to have (also get) the worsec1275 to have (also get, etc.) the better (or worse) end of the staff1542 disprofit1561 the worst end of the bargain (also stick, staff, etc.)1564 to have the wrong end of the stick?1793 1534 (?a1500) Weavers' Pageant l. 504 in H. Craig Two Coventry Corpus Christi Plays (1931) 49 He schal be sure..Eyuer the worse yend of the staff to haue. 1635 T. Jackson Humiliation Sonne of God 71 He having gotten (as wee say) the better end of the staffe, did wrest our wills at his pleasure. 1688 J. Bunyan Work of Christ as Advocate 94 I am ashamed my self of mine own doings, and have given mine Enemy the best end of the Staff. 1753 S. Richardson Hist. Sir Charles Grandison II. vii. 113 Miss Byron, I have had the better end of the staff, I believe. 1891 Birmingham Daily Post 14 Apr. 6/6 It appeared to him that they (West Bromwich Council) had the worse end of the staff in that arrangement. c. to lean on (also trust to) a broken staff and variants: to rely on something which is untrustworthy or not fit for purpose. Later also more generally in metaphors and similes in which a broken staff is taken as the type of something unreliable.Originally with allusion to 2 Kings 18:21 (see quot. 1535) and Isaiah 36:6; cf. broken reed at reed n.¹ 2b. Π 1535 Bible (Coverdale) 4 (2) Kings xviii. D Beholde, puttest thou thy trust in this broken staffe of rede [L. speras in baculo harundineo atque confracto], in Egipte? which who leaneth vpon, it shall go in to his hande, & pearse it thorow.] 1639 J. Clarke Paroemiologia 128 To trust to a broken staff, or bow, Vallus vitem decipit. 1659 N. R. Proverbs 74 Lean not to a broken staff. 1757 J. Greenhill Serm. preceding Fast-day 12 Thus trusting to Foreigners is but the trusting to a broken Staff, that goes into, and pierces the Hand of those that lean thereon. 1861 Standard 18 Apr. 4/5 The trusted remedy of a property and income tax has proved a broken staff. 2019 Dominion Post (Wellington, N.Z.) (Digital ed.) (Nexis) 5 Apr. Trusting the goodwill of a current government is like leaning on a broken staff. †d. your (also his, etc.) staff stands next the door and variants: you (he, etc.) will be the next to depart; chiefly figurative and in figurative contexts suggesting the specified person will be next to experience a misfortune. Obsolete.With reference to a staff or walking stick being placed close to a doorway in readiness for a person's departure. ΘΚΠ the world > time > frequency > [verb (intransitive)] > it is one's turn next (one's) staff stands next the door1548 the ball is in a person's court1956 1548 Hall's Vnion: Henry VII f. xiii The Prouerbe that sayth, when thy neighboures house is a fyer, thy staffe standeth nexte the dore. 1576 G. Pettie Petite Pallace 96 Neighbours and freindes if you suffer mee to sustaine this iniury, assure your selues your staffe standeth next to the dore. 1587 W. Harrison Hist. Descr. Iland Brit. (new ed.) ii. iii. 152/2 in Holinshed's Chron. (new ed.) I For when the lands of colleges be gone, it shall be hard to saie, whose staffe shall stand next the doore. 1626 J. E. Winding-sheet 2 Wee haue seene..these younger then our selues goe before on this way, whose staffe standeth next the doore wee know not. †e. to set down (also up, in) one's staff and variants. Similarly, to fix (also pitch) one's staff. Obsolete. (a) To remain or stay in (a specified place) for a period of time; to take up residence; to settle down. ΘΠ society > inhabiting and dwelling > [verb (intransitive)] > establish residence wickc897 telda1325 buildc1340 nestlea1382 to take (up) one's inn (or inns)a1400 to hold (also keep, make, take, etc.) one's mansiona1425 to take one's lodgec1475 reside1490 inhabit1548 to settle one's rest1562 to sit down1579 to set up (or in) one's staff (of rest)1584 to set (up) one's rest1590 nest1591 to set down one's rest1591 roost1593 inherit1600 habituate1603 seat1612 to take up (one's) residencea1626 settle1627 pitch1629 fix1638 locate1652 to marry and settle1718 domesticate1768 domiciliate1815 to hang up one's hat1826 domicile1831 to stick one's stakes1872 homestead1877 to put down roots1882 to hang one's hat1904 localize1930 1579 Memoriall of Present Estat Scotl. (Hatfield House CP 11/11) He meanes in short tyme to leive his levinge in ffraunce to his seconnd sonne, and sett downe his staffe in scottland. ?1589 T. Nashe Almond for Parrat sig. F3^v I haue not beene in Essex yet, but Ile set in my staffe there as I go home. 1594 T. Nashe Vnfortunate Traveller sig. D2^v Here I was in good hope to set vp my staffe for some reasonable time. a1613 T. Bodley Life (1647) 15 I concluded at the last to set up my Staffe at the Library doore in Oxford. 1765 H. Walpole Let. 3 Sept. (1861) IV. 397 The Countesses of Carlisle and Berkeley..will set up their staves there [i.e. in Paris] for some time. 1818 Ld. Byron Let. 3 Mar. (1976) VI. 17 Here have I pitched my staff—& here do I purpose to reside for the remainder of my life. 1830 Fraser's Mag. Dec. 590/1 There he fixed his staff during the remainder of his mortal pilgrimage. 1861 A. Trollope Framley Parsonage III. xlviii. 328 They appeared in London, and there set up their staff. (b) To come to a conclusion, resolution, etc., on an issue; to adopt a fixed or settled position, opinion, etc. Obsolete. ΘΚΠ the mind > will > decision > constancy or steadfastness > be constant or steadfast [verb (intransitive)] standeOE cleavec1275 to stand stiffa1290 stick1447 to stand or stick to one's tackling1529 to stand in this1538 to set down (the or one's) staff1584 to stand one's ground1600 to stand to one's pan pudding1647 to maintain one's ground1736 to nail one's colours (also flag) to the mast (also masthead)1808 to stay put1843 to stand firm1856 to sit tight1890 to keep the flag flying1914 to dig in one's toes1933 to hold the line1956 1584 R. Greene Arbasto 29 Setting down the staf therefore on this secure periury thus it fell out. a1610 J. Healey tr. Epictetus Manuall (1636) 61 But sette downe thy staffe at this, whateuer the end bee, it noway concerneth thee. 1642 D. Rogers Naaman 175 Yet till she rests there, and sets downe her stafe upon the promise, shee shall haue no rest. 1667 O. Heywood Heart-treasure xiv. 165 A sober solid wel-taught Christian hath fixt the Staffe, and you know where to finde him, and he knows where to finde his own Principles. †f. to break a staff: to fight; esp. to contend with an opponent in single combat. Obsolete (archaic in later use). ΘΠ society > armed hostility > armed encounter > contending in battle > contend in battle or give battle [verb (intransitive)] fightc900 to bid, offer, refuse, accept, take (arch.) battle1297 to do battle1297 to give battle1297 strive13.. battle1330 to instore a battle1382 fettlec1400 pugnec1425 toilc1425 to deliver battle1433 conflict?a1475 bargain1487 mellaya1500 liverc1500 to come out1511 field1535 combat1589 to manage arms1590 sway1590 society > leisure > sport > types of sport or game > fighting sports > jousting or tilting > joust or tilt [verb (intransitive)] playeOE bourdisec1320 joustc1330 copec1350 tourney1390 coup?a1400 joustenc1400 to joust of warc1400 to run togetherc1410 bourda1500 to fight at barriers1532 runa1533 to run at (the) tilt1548 jostle1580 tilt1595 to break a treea1600 to run (or ride) a-tilt1608 to run tilt1831 a1593 C. Marlowe Edward II (1594) sig. G4^v The king of England, nor the court of Fraunce, Shall haue me from my gratious mothers side, Till I be strong enough to breake a staffe. 1600 P. Holland tr. Livy Rom. Hist. viii. vii. 285 Wilt thou then..break a staffe with me in the meane time. 1650 A. Bradstreet Tenth Muse 23 She'l ride a Horse as bravely, as the best, And break a staffe, provided't be in jest. 1822 T. L. Peacock Maid Marian xvi. 217 ‘It is Friar Tuck,’ said Marian. ‘He will scarcely know us,’ said Robin; ‘and if he do not, I will break a staff with him for sport.’ 1923 V. Starrett Banners in Dawn 26 What joy to break a staff in midnight brawls. †g. to have (also keep) the staff in one's own hand and variants: to have (or retain) power or authority. Obsolete. ΘΚΠ society > authority > [verb (intransitive)] > retain authority to have the staff in (one's) own hand1828 the mind > possession > retaining > retain or keep [verb (intransitive)] > retain one's property or authority to have the staff in (one's) own hand1828 1595 A. Golding tr. J. Hurault Politicke, Moral, & Martial Disc. i. xi. 86 Sextus Pompeius who had the staffe in his owne hand, to haue killed Augustus and Antonie, his enemies, delt honorably in letting them goe. 1641 ‘T. Tell-troth’ Charitable Church Warden sig. A2 J thought best now while J had the staffe in my own hand, to make use of time, and get something by my place. 1713 Of Orig. & Ends of Govt. 35 God..will [not] devolved his Right upon any Man to dispose of his Concerns. He holds the Staff in his own Hand. 1852 H. B. Stowe Uncle Tom's Cabin I. xviii. 303 And, of course, they know the staff is in their own hands. 1909 Zion's Herald 19 May 618/2 The salary is fixed by a committee who have the staff in their own hands. h. British. you can't get the staff these days and variants: used (often humorously or ironically) to indicate something has not been done or maintained properly or that someone's efforts have failed to meet expectations. Π 1984 Guardian 28 Apr. 10/2 A queue has formed at the ticket office and is beginning to make irritable but British noises like ‘You can't get the staff’ and ‘Personally I blame Ramsay MacDonald’. 2011 A. Harris Miracle on Regent Street xvi ‘No I haven't,’ Carly says, rolling her eyes at me as if to say, ‘You can't get the staff these days.’ 2020 @MousecowToday 30 Nov. in twitter.com (accessed 10 June 2022) Mousecow [sc. a pet cat] is having a trying morning as the servants haven't opened the curtains for her. You just can't get the staff nowadays. 2022 @Cunningham_UK 10 June in twitter.com (accessed 10 June 2022) Why was blurring this person's face, and not cropping the image (or taking a better photo) the design choice here? Can't get the staff these days! Compounds C1. Compounds relating to senses in branch I. a. As a modifier. (a) With participles, agent nouns, and verbal nouns, forming compounds in which staff expresses the object of the underlying verb, as in staff-bearing, staff-wielding (adjectives and nouns); staff-bearer, staff-holder, staff-maker, etc. Π in Hist. MSS Comm.: Rep. MSS Corporation of Beverley (1900) 99 in Parl. Papers (Cd. 284) XLVI. 513 String-makers et staf-makers [are to pay 2d. a year]. 1553 in A. J. Kempe Losely MSS (1836) 44 Touching the stafmaker..I wyll see hym contented. 1611 R. Cotgrave Dict. French & Eng. Tongues Bastonnier, a staffe-bearer, or Vergier. 1880 L. d'A. Jackson Aid Surv.-pract. 98 The staff-holders must..be capable of holding the staff truly vertical. 1915 Amer. Jrnl. Archaeol. 19 298 Two staff-bearing angels..stand on the mountain. 2002 Globe & Mail (Toronto) (Nexis) 11 June (Review section) 1 A profound respect for the staff-wielding on-screen wizards washes over me. (b) With the sense ‘on, with, or by means of a staff’, as in staff-mounted, staff-supported, etc., adjectives.Chiefly with past participles. Π 1815 W. Wordsworth White Doe of Rylstone i. 15 That bearded, staff-supported Sire. 1859 N. Michell Pleasure vi. 199 The staff-propped patriarch haunting green retreats, Smiling at years, and blessing all he meets. 1970 Boating June 70/1 Standard equipment included..a combination port and starboard running light..a staff-mounted 32-point sternlight..and the under-platform dry stowage locker. 2010 D. Pelleck Afghanistan to Zambia 18 [He] was instructed to go to the property to verify the boundaries..with the aid of a forester's chain and a staff-mounted compass. b. † staff-acre n. East Anglian Obsolete (probably) a small piece of land, perhaps one enclosed or marked out by a fence; cf. senses 2a, 10.In quot. 1352-3, perhaps used as a measure of land. [Earlier currency is implied by post-classical Latin stafacra (c1170 in a British source).] Π a1300 (c1200) Chron. Jocelin of Brakelond 64 Hee sunt ecclesie de maneriis conuentus..medietas ecclesie de Bradefeld in Norfolchia tres marcas: staffacres et foracres, et tercie partes decimarum dominiorum Wrabenesse, vi. marcas. 1352–3 Manorial Documents in Mod. Philol. (1936) 34 57 Item datur messori j acre ordei. Item j stafaker ordei'. 1534–5 in Proc. Suffolk Inst. Archæol., Statistics, & Nat. Hist. (1859) 2 51 [4s. a year] to the crosse berer of the seyd abbot for the staff-acre. staff angle n. a length of wood (or sometimes metal) fixed vertically along the edge of an exposed or projecting corner of an internal wall to protect or reinforce the plaster; = angle-staff n.; cf. sense 17a. ΘΚΠ society > inhabiting and dwelling > inhabited place > a building > furniture and fittings > wallcovering > [noun] > vertical bead on exterior angle angle bead1799 staff1812 staff-bead1833 staff-angle1875 1842 W. T. Brande Dict. Sci., Lit. & Art 1142/1 Staff angle, in Architecture, a square rod of wood standing flush with the wall on each of its sides, at the external angles of plastering on the inside of apartments, to prevent the angles thereof being broken or damaged. 1975 C. M. Harris Dict. Archit. & Constr. 18/2 Angle staff, staff angle,..a vertical strip of wood or metal at the exterior angle of two plastered surfaces and flush with them; protects the plastering and serves as a guide for floating the plaster. staff bead n. Joinery a length of wood having a rounded or beaded profile on one edge; a bead moulding of this sort, typically used along the edge of an exposed or projecting corner or fitted around the inner frame of a sliding sash window to hold the sash in place; cf. sense 17a. ΘΚΠ society > inhabiting and dwelling > inhabited place > a building > furniture and fittings > wallcovering > [noun] > vertical bead on exterior angle angle bead1799 staff1812 staff-bead1833 staff-angle1875 1803 T. Sheraton Cabinet Dict. 41 Beads are of three descriptions... The 3d is a staff-bead, used by joiners, which is their common bead plane mentioned above, which they work on both sides of any thing which forms a staff at the corner of posts, &c. 1833 J. C. Loudon Encycl. Cottage Archit. §239 The angles of the chimney breasts to have proper staff beads. 1917 Western Daily Press 15 Oct. (6:30 a.m. ed.) 1/3 (advt.) For sale. Quantity of mouldings, cornice, architrave..sash bars..parting beads, stop beads..staff beads. 2021 Andover (Hampshire) Advertiser (Nexis) 20 Feb. (Planning Notices) Replace sashes/box secs/staff beads to x1 ground flr & x3 first flr windows. staff-beaded adj. (esp. of a window frame) fitted with a staff bead or staff beads (staff bead n.). ΚΠ 1823 J. Allen & C. Nichols Building Contract 12th Congregational Church in E. F. Zimmer Archit. Career A. Parris 1780–1852 (Ph.D. diss., Boston Univ.) (1984) App. I. 631 The inside of the sashframe to be grooved for an 1/2 Inch wrought tong.d [sic] and staff beaded lining of Sufficient width to project 1/4 Inch before the Stucco or plastering. 1833 J. C. Loudon Encycl. Cottage Archit. §1598 Fix 1-inch deal tongued and splayed and staff-beaded linings to three windows. 1907 P. N. Hasluck Cassell's Carpentry & Joinery 292/1 On Rod 3,..set out a 4½-in. by 3-in. solid rebated, beaded, and staff-beaded frame fixed in a 14-in. wall. 2013 Clearview North Mar. 68 (advt.) Masterframe will feature a window from a recent contract with a..staff beaded frame (externally). † staff bismar n. Scottish (Shetland) Obsolete a type of steelyard; cf. bismar n. 1. ΘΚΠ the world > relative properties > measurement > measurement by weighing > equipment for weighing > [noun] > a weighing apparatus > steelyard statera?a1560 pundler1575 Roman balance1585 Roman beam1611 stelleer1611 Venice beam1611 steelyard1639 bismar1701 Roman steelyard1730 staff-bismara1733 weigh-beam1804 a1733 Shetland Acts 31 in Proc. Soc. Antiquaries Scotl. 1891–2 (1892) 26 200 That none use staff bismers, nor any other save such as are adjusted and marked to buy and sell on. † staff-drive v. Obsolete (transitive) to drive or herd (livestock) on to land, esp. common land, for grazing; to put (livestock) to graze on common land, under the charge of a herder to prevent the animals straying (cf. staff-herd vb.). ΘΚΠ the world > food and drink > farming > animal husbandry > sheep-farming > rear sheep or wool [verb (transitive)] > herd > pasture on common or forest staff-herd1563 staff-drive1566 1540 in T. R. Nash Coll. Hist. Worcs. (1781) I. p. lxxviii That none of the inhabitants of Colwall, or Mathon, do from henceforth staff-drive any kind of their cattle into the chase, further than the shire-ditch, after the old custom, on pain of 20s. a1634 W. Noy Compl. Lawyer (1651) 40 One may..not staffe-drive their cattle into the others Seignorie or Towneship. staff head n. the topmost part of a staff or (esp. in senses 1, 4, or 5) a separate piece attached to the upper end of a staff, for example the handle of a walking stick, the metal tip of a weapon, or the decorated end of sceptre, etc.; (also) the top of a tripod used to support a theodolite or other measuring instrument (cf. sense 7f). ΘΚΠ the world > space > relative position > support > [noun] > that which supports > something to lean on > staff to lean on > walking stick > upper end of staff-head1506 the world > the earth > earth sciences > geography > map-making > surveying > [noun] > surveying instruments > part of a surveying instrument > top of tripod staff-head1766 1506 in J. B. Paul Accts. Treasurer Scotl. (1901) III. 355 To Robert Selkyrk, cultellar, for xij staf hedis. 1682 A. Martindale Countrey-surv.-bk. xviii. 110 I turn about the Table upon the Staff-head, till through the Sights..I see the Angle A. 1730 Magna Britannia V. 45/1 There is a prodigious Trade carry'd on by the Blacksmiths, in working..Squares for Trunks and Coffins, Staff-Heads, Buckles and Nails. 1862 Internat. Exhib.: Illustr. Catal. Industr. Dept. II. xiii. 28/2 (advt.) The tripod and its staff-head. 1888 in Archaeologia 51 373 A staff-head of wood, coloured and gilded. 1923 Daily Tel. 14 Apr. (Late ed.) 7/3 Flags flying at the staff-head. 2006 Jrnl. Afr. Archaeol. 4 62/1 The Ife castings include..the longer staff and the smaller staff head from Ita Yemoo. staff-herd v. now historical (transitive) to herd (sheep or other livestock) on to land in order to allow them to graze; to put (livestock) to graze, esp. on common land, under the charge of a shepherd or herder to keep them from straying; to graze (land) in this way; (also intransitive) to use this method of grazing livestock; cf. staff-drive vb. [Compare earlier staff-herd (noun) in the senses ‘payment for the right to or duty to graze in a certain way’ (1422 as stashurd (for stafhurd)), ‘herdsman in charge of animals grazing on common land’ (1510 as staf hird in Older Scots, 1530 as staffe herd in a Yorkshire source).] ΘΚΠ the world > food and drink > farming > animal husbandry > sheep-farming > rear sheep or wool [verb (transitive)] > herd > pasture on common or forest staff-herd1563 staff-drive1566 1553 in R. B. Armstrong Hist. Liddesdale (1883) 41 If any inhabitants of either the said realms..depasture and feed with his cattel or sheep, or staffherd the same within the bounds of the other realm. 1563 in W. Nicolson Leges Marchiarum (1705) 138 If it shall happen the Cattel or Sheep of the one Realm to be staff-herded, or to remain depasturing upon the ground of the opposite Realm. 1595 in C. W. Hatfield Hist. Notices Doncaster (1866) I. 168 Doncaster time out of mind have made drives..and staff hearded upon the moor. 1828 W. Carr Dial. Craven (ed. 2) Staff hird, to have sheep under the care of a shepherd. 2000 A. J. L. Winchester Harvest of Hills v. 115/1 Westmorland men were said to have staff herded the moorland boundary between that county and the Yorkshire manor of Hunderthwaite. staff holster n. a holster or holder worn on the person in which to carry a staff.Chiefly referring to a staff used as a weapon (see senses 4, 5d), but in quot. 1954, one used to carry or support a banner (see sense 2b). ΘΚΠ society > armed hostility > military equipment > weapon > club or stick > [noun] > pole or staff > holster for staffholster1922 1922 J. Joyce Ulysses ii. xv. [Circe] 409 At a corner two night watch in shoulder capes, their hands upon their staffholsters, loom tall. 1954 Washington Post 1 Sept. 20/3 ‘It'll be a toss-up..,’ remarked one standard-bearer as he adjusted his heavy leather staff holster. 2020 O. J. Riley Sand Dunes & Blood Moons (e-book, accessed 14 Apr. 2022) v. 42 His new weapon was secured to his pouch belt and sitting at his lower back under his staff holster. staff hook n. now chiefly English regional (southern) an agricultural implement consisting of a long handle with a metal hook or blade at one end, used for cutting hedges and other plants that are difficult to reach, or to gather together material which has been cut down. ΘΚΠ the world > food and drink > farming > hedging > [noun] > hedging implements hedge-bill1497 hedging-bill1497 staff-hook?1523 plashing-bill?a1549 plashing-tool?a1549 hack-hook1771 rice knife1858 splasher1868 hedge trimmer1871 splashing-bill1899 the world > food and drink > farming > tools and implements > harvesting equipment > [noun] > reaping tools > sickle > types of staff-hook?1523 pease-hook1545 brush-scythe1573 grass hook1665 swipe1742 twibill1763 pea-hook1840 swap-hook1863 ?1523 J. Fitzherbert Bk. Husbandry f. xvi^v Pees and beanes be..reped or mowen..some with sickels, some with hokes, and some with staffe hokes. 1805 Agric. Mag. Nov. 298 (caption) A Staff Hook used with the Scythe. 1897 H. C. Mercer Tools of Nation Maker 32 The Hainault bare scythe held by a crotch under right arm and worked with one hand, while a staff hook in the left collects the grain. 1989 P. Wyatt Somerset Childhood ii. 19 His tools consisted of a long handled staff hook whose curved blade cut the reed roots and made it easier to flick the reeds onto the bank. 2002 Western Daily Press (Nexis) 14 Aug. (Late City ed.) 9 You wore a leather glove to protect you from the thorns, pressing back the hedge with one hand and swiping along it with the other, using a brace hook or a staff hook. Staff Land n. now historical (the name of) certain land in the Isle of Man.Staff lands are recorded as having existed in the parishes of Maughold and Patrick; they were once held by lay families who acted as the hereditary custodians of the pastoral staffs of their patron saints (see sense 5b). [Compare post-classical Latin terra de baculo with reference to land in the Isle of Man (1231, in a copy of c1600).] ΘΚΠ the world > the earth > named regions of earth > Europe > British Isles > England > [noun] > districts of England > district Isle of Man staff-land1890 1712 Agreement in G. Bray Rec. Convocation I. (2005) (modernized text) 141 The tenants of the staffland of Kirk Maughold hereafter named. a1883 R. Sherwood Manx Law Tenures (1899) 16 The Staff Lands consist of a few small parcels in Maughold containing about 200 acres. 1995 N. Mongan Menapia Quest iv. 79 The ‘Staff Lands’ were originally granted to the clan charged with the care of St. Maughold's Staff which was paraded by them in Saints Day processions or at the Tynwald Court (Manx Parliament). staff moulding n. a moulding taking the form of a long rod or strip with a convex profile, sometimes highly ornamented, frequently used on corners and angles; cf. sense 17. Π 1671 J. Aubrey Chronologia Architectonica (MS Bodl. Top. Gen. c. 25) f. 179 Chronologicall Architecture 'Twas M^r Hugh May..that brought in the Staffe-moalding on solid right Angles, after the Restauration of ^ye King. The fashion has taken much. 1842 J. C. Loudon 1st Addit. Suppl. Encycl. Cottage Archit. 1247 To put ¾-inch soffits to all the eaves and gable-hangings, with 1½-inch staff-moulding in the angle against the wall. 1924 Sierra Madre (Calif.) News 26 Dec. 1/3 The plastering..is set off beautifully by a wide staff moulding around the ceiling. 1987 J. S. Kerr Admiralty House 46 The officer's bedroom retained and still retains most of its original plaster, a staff moulding and the original architecture. † staffshide n. Obsolete a stick or piece of wood used for firewood or kindling; cf. shide n. ΘΚΠ society > occupation and work > materials > fuel > wood as fuel > [noun] > cut to a certain size wood-tale1235 tosard1336 talwood1350 staff-shide1411 billetc1440 talshide1444 cord-wood1638 1411 Rolls of Parl.: Henry IV (Electronic ed.) Parl. Nov. 1411 §47. m. 2 Tout le maresme et fuaile, autrement appelle staffeshides et kides. † staffstriker n. Obsolete an itinerant beggar; a vagrant. ΘΚΠ the mind > possession > poverty > mendicancy > [noun] > beggar > sturdy beggar truantc1290 staff-striker1376 valiant beggar?1530 sturdy beggara1538 hallan-shaker1568 1376 Rolls of Parl.: Edward III (Electronic ed.) Parl. Apr. 1376 §117. m. 15 Et plusours de eux devenent stafstrikers. 1468 Maldon (Essex) Liber B f. 12^v To punysh alle maner of noughty brauleres and bryboures, Nyghtwalkeres, stastrykeres [perhaps read stafstrykeres], and evesedropperes. staff system n. Railways (now chiefly historical) a system used as a means of preventing collisions on single-track railway lines by which a rod or baton is given to the train driver as authority to travel over particular section of track, the existence of a single staff for that section ensuring that there can only be a train travelling in one direction at any given time; cf. sense 7m. ΘΚΠ society > travel > rail travel > railway system or organization > [noun] > system for use of single track staff and ticket1887 staff system1887 1853 Jackson's Oxf. Jrnl. 5 Mar. The ‘red staff’ system is now adopted between Bicester and Winslow, and must certainly be a great security against collisions.] 1871 Engineering 29 Dec. 420/2 The line is worked on the ‘staff’ system, assisted by telegraph. 1966 K. Möller Amer. & Brit. Railway Eng. 39 The..staff system is still in use in Britain; every engine running over a certain section of a line must carry the corresponding token or staff. 2009 J. T. Gaertner Duluth, South Shore & Atlantic Railway ix. 178 The new main line went into service on July 26, 1910... This brought an end to the staff system between Negaunee and Eagle Mills. staff ticket n. Railways (now chiefly historical) a ticket issued to a driver on a single-track railway line, authorizing the train to travel along the line without carrying the train staff (see sense 7m and staff and ticket at Phrases 2c for further details). ΘΚΠ society > travel > rail travel > railway system or organization > [noun] > system for use of single track > token or staff train ticket1841 train staff1853 staff1885 staff ticket1885 tablet1885 token1936 1858 H. P. Bruyeres Let. Sept. in Rep. Proc. Dept. Railways 1858 (1859) 35/1 in Parl. Papers XXVII. 637 The train staff tickets are to be kept in a box fastened by an inside spring.] 1873 Argus (Melbourne) 18 Dec. 5/2 The following are the staff stations at which the staff or staff ticket must be received before a train can start, or be delivered up on arrival. 1885 E. B. Ivatts Railway Managem. at Stations 559 Two or three trains may be passed forward by ‘staff ticket’ in this way, but ultimately either a train, an engine, or a messenger must convey the staff to enable trains being sent in the opposite direction. 2010 A. Vaughan Faringdon Branch & Uffington Station (rev. ed.) v. 55 The Staff Tickets on the Faringdon branch were pieces of buff-coloured card..and carried the words, ‘To the driver of —— train. You are authorised to proceed to Faringdon..and the Train Staff will follow’. staff torch n. historical after 17th cent. a very tall, thick candle typically carried in processions or used for other ceremonial purposes; cf. sense 7a. ΘΚΠ the world > matter > light > artificial light > an artificial light > candle > [noun] > used at specific times or in certain places soul candle1389 sizea1483 staff-torch1532 death candle1808 yahrzeit candle1906 1532–3 in H. Littlehales Medieval Rec. London City Church (1905) 361 Item, paid for iij staf torches of wex, to hold at the levacion ijs vjd. 1580–1 Act 23 Eliz. c. 8 §3 Wares wrought with Waxe, as in Lightes, Staftorches. a1652 R. Brome City Wit v. sig. F 4 in Five New Playes (1653) All ready..to weare a red Cap, and a blew Gown; comely to carry a Staff-torch before my Lord Mayor upon Alhalloune night. 1887 J. Morris Venerable Sir Adrian Fortescue 11 A new coffin was made, and a horse litter to carry it... There were twelve staff torches of wax, and six torch-bearers all the way. 2017 L. Branch Faith & Fraternity v. 196 At his burial he still requested staff torches but no additional lights. staff tree n. †(a) a small evergreen tree (possibly a phillyrea) described as having wood fit for making staffs (obsolete); (b) any plant of (or formerly included in) the genus Celastrus (family Celastraceae), comprising climbing shrubs mostly native to warm and tropical regions of the Americas, Asia, and Australia; esp. the North American species Celastrus scandens; = staff vine n.Now chiefly in lists of alternative names for these plants. ΘΚΠ the world > plants > particular plants > plants and herbs > climbing or creeping plants > non-British climbing or creeping plants > [noun] > North American woodbine1624 Virginia vine1629 staff-tree1633 Virginia creeper?1703 climbing vine1760 mayflower1778 pepper vine1783 arbutus1785 trailing arbutus1785 pipe vine1803 Ampelopsis1805 ground-laurel1814 waxwork1818 ivory plum1828 fever twig1830 yerba buena1847 mountain pink1850 New England mayflower1855 creeping snowberry1856 Virginian creeper1856 May blossom1871 sand verbena1880 staff-vine1884 the world > plants > particular plants > plants and herbs > climbing or creeping plants > non-British climbing or creeping plants > [noun] > other non-British climbing plants bull-hoof1756 Russian vine1840 1633 T. Johnson Gerard's Herball (new ed.) App. 1600 (caption) Celastrus Theophrasti. The staffe tree. 1764 W. Burchell Catal. Trees, Shrubs, Plants, & Flowers 12 The climbing Staff-tree or Bastard Spindle-tree. 1824 J. C. Loudon Green-house Compan. ii. 83 Celastrus Pyracanthus, pyracantha-leaved Staff-tree, a low tree also from the Cape. 1941 Amer. Naturalist 41 393 The bark of the Staff-tree..contains a larger quantity of mannan than does the wood proper. 2007 L. S. Nelson et al. Handbk. Poisonous & Injurious Plants (ed. 2) 116 Celastrus scandens: American Bittersweet, Bittersweet.., Staff Tree, Staff Vine. staff vine n. any plant of the genus Celastrus (family Celastraceae), comprising climbing shrubs mostly native to warm and tropical regions of the Americas, Asia, and Australia; esp. the North American species Celastrus scandens; cf. earlier staff tree n.Also called bittersweet (cf. bittersweet n. 4b). ΘΚΠ the world > plants > particular plants > plants and herbs > climbing or creeping plants > non-British climbing or creeping plants > [noun] > North American woodbine1624 Virginia vine1629 staff-tree1633 Virginia creeper?1703 climbing vine1760 mayflower1778 pepper vine1783 arbutus1785 trailing arbutus1785 pipe vine1803 Ampelopsis1805 ground-laurel1814 waxwork1818 ivory plum1828 fever twig1830 yerba buena1847 mountain pink1850 New England mayflower1855 creeping snowberry1856 Virginian creeper1856 May blossom1871 sand verbena1880 staff-vine1884 the world > plants > particular plants > plants and herbs > climbing or creeping plants > non-British climbing or creeping plants > [noun] > other non-British climbing plants bull-hoof1756 Russian vine1840 1830 C. S. Rafinesque Med. Flora U.S. II. 206 Celastrus scandens, L. Fevertwig, Staff vine, Bittersweet. 1910 A. Lounsberry Gardens near Sea viii. 93 Near many seaside gardens, the American bittersweet, or staff vine, Celastrus scandens, can be used to cover rough roadside walls. 1995 A. Shackleton tr. K. Jacobi Shrubs 87/3 Some plants such as Chinese wisteria (Wisteria sinensis) and staff vine (Celastrus) will only flower on older wood. 2008 P. Rowland Bowerbirds v. 66 The Regent Bowerbird feeds mainly on the fruits of native plants, including..Large Staff Vine (Celastrus subspicata). staff weapon n. now chiefly historical a thrusting or cutting weapon consisting of a long (typically wooden) shaft with a point or blade at one end; a polearm; cf. sense 4c. ΘΚΠ society > armed hostility > military equipment > weapon > sharp weapon > spear or lance > [noun] spearc725 ordeOE spriteOE wal-speara1000 gareOE shaftc1000 staffc1275 glaive1297 lancegayc1386 gad1422 burdounc1440 Jedburgh (Jedworth, Jedwood etc.) staff1515 puncheon pole1548 puncheon spear1548 puncheon staff1548 punching staff1562 prag1582 sarissa1736 staff weapon1788 windlestraw1831 1605 in R. Brown Hist. Paisley (1886) I. xii. 204 Confesset the striking of the said George Ramsay with ane stalf wepoun. 1788 J. C. Walker Hist. Ess. Dress Irish 127 Having thus returned..to the Staff-weapons. 1819 W. Scott Legend of Montrose xiii, in Tales of my Landlord 3rd Ser. IV. 280 Partizan, halbert, Lochaber-axe, or any other modern staff-weapon. 1917 Times 15 Feb. 11/5 Here are shown staff weapons, crossbows, axes, maces, and the great lance of Charles Brandon. 2013 G. Foard & A. Curry Bosworth 1485 ii. 40/1 The men-at-arms would be fully armed with swords, daggers and a range of staff weapons of superior quality and effectiveness. C2. Compounds relating to senses in branch II. staff notation n. Music musical notation in which position on the staff or stave (see sense 20) is used to indicate the pitch of notes, especially as distinct from Tonic sol-fa. Π 1849 Westm. & Foreign Q. Rev. Jan. 489 The existing staff notation may however be greatly simplified. 1881 J. Broadhouse Student's Helmholtz 365 The ordinary musical notation, or, as it is called, the ‘staff notation’. 2004 T. Smith Let Church Sing! p. xii Some standard ethnomusicological modifications have been made to Western staff notation. † staffrew n. [ < staff n.¹ + rew n.¹; compare Old Icelandic stafróf alphabet (literally ‘staff-row’; see reeve n.¹), and compare also staverow n. at stave n.² Compounds 2] Obsolete (a) the alphabet; (b) a line of writing. ΘΚΠ society > communication > writing > system of writing > alphabet > [noun] staff-rewOE abecedariumOE ABCc1325 alphabet?a1475 character1569 abecedary1596 one's P's and Q's1763 characteristic1769 staverow1866 society > communication > book > matter of book > [noun] > a line in a book lineOE rewOE staff-rewOE rowc1450 OE Seven Sleepers (Julius) (1994) 55 Þærinne funde [he] ane leadene tabulan eall awritene, and þa hi..rædde. Þa com he to þære stæfræwe þær he þæt word funde awriten. OE tr. Bede Eccl. Hist. (Otho) v. Concl. 484 Boc de orthographia mid stæfræwe [OE Cambr. Univ. Libr. stæfenroph] endebyrdnesse tosceadene [L. alfabeti ordine distinctum]. C3. Military. In sense 21. a. As a modifier, with the sense ‘of or belonging to a military staff’ (see sense 21), as in staff appointment, staff car, staff duty, staff job, etc. See also staff officer n.Also in extended use in naval contexts (originally British Navy), designating certain senior officers in specialist technical roles: see staff captain n., staff commander n., staff surgeon n. ΘΚΠ society > armed hostility > hostilities at sea > seafaring warrior or naval man > leader or commander > [adjective] > senior officer staff1867 society > travel > travel by water > one who travels by water or sea > sailor > [adjective] > of senior grade staff1867 1784 Kentish Gaz. 13 Nov. Some books respecting the Staff appointment of the Colonel were sent for, and the Court waited for them a considerable time. 1875 Encycl. Brit. II. 577/2 Staff appointments are held for five years only. 1909 Blackwood's Mag. Apr. 568/2 The adjutant inspected the Staff parade. 1913 R. Meinertzhagen Diary 19 Dec. (1960) 57 I expected a better groundwork in staff duties. a1944 K. Douglas Alamein to Zem Zem (1946) i. 11 A few staff and liaison officers in jeeps and staff cars still passed. 1978 R. V. Jones Most Secret War xix. 155 Scott-Farnie himself would be going and would have a staff car. 2014 Squadron Buzz (Fleet Air Arm Squadron) No. 67. 10 I was lucky enough to get promoted from the pilots' appointer job..and moved through various staff jobs. b. staff cap n. a cap with a wide, flat top and a peak, typically worn as part of military uniform. ΘΚΠ the world > textiles and clothing > clothing > types or styles of clothing > headgear > [noun] > cap > types of > peaked > types of tiar1513 tiara1555 jockey-cap1748 Mary Queen of Scots cap1813 baseball cap1865 baseball hat1867 cheese-cutter1870 fore and aft1888 staff cap1902 Mao cap1967 1847 E. Napier Reminisc. Syria & Holy Land (new ed.) II. xi. 258 Admiring the rest of the uniform.., but particularly the staff cap and feather. 1902 Westm. Gaz. 16 June 8/2 His Majesty,..with hand raised to staff-cap, in military salute. 1984 W. D. Whitaker & S. Whitaker Tug of War xv. 329 I remember Hess was wearing a staff cap which he always wore, the ordinary officer's cap. staff college n. an institution at which officers are trained for staff appointments. ΘΚΠ society > armed hostility > drill or training > [noun] > place for training > college for officers military academy1756 military college1801 staff college1868 war college1894 1831 Foreign Q. Rev. Apr. 335 At seven he received the officers and students of the staff college, and questioned them one by one on their studies. 1911 W. S. Churchill in R. S. Churchill Winston S. Churchill (1969) II. Compan. ii. xvi. 1283 You are authorized to apply to the War Office for the services of 25 Staff College Officers. 2022 Herald (Harare) (Nexis) 27 May She joined the logistics corps and completed the Junior Staff Course at the Zimbabwe Staff College. staff commander n. British Navy (now historical) (a title for) a senior navigating officer; cf. staff captain n.The title was introduced in 1863. The use in quot. 1860 is by a writer anticipating this change. Π 1860 Hampshire Advertiser 24 Nov. 8/1 Staff commanders might be employed in line-of-battle ships, which would give an increased employment to a class who find a difficulty in getting on active service. 1863 Times 15 Aug. 7/5 They were escorted round by her Staff-Commander Renaud. 1875 F. G. D. Bedford Sailor's Pocket Bk. (ed. 2) v. 150 (note) Staff-Commander Thomas A. Hull, R.N. 2004 D. Blackmore Blunders & Disasters at Sea 85 On Admiral Wellesley's orders, Staff Commander Kiddle laid off a course to take the Minotaur division safely clear of the only offshore hazards on the route, Carnero Point and Pearl Rock. staff ride n. a training exercise, originally undertaken on horseback, in which staff officers carry out reconnaissance and analysis of the terrain of strategically important positions, potential battlefields, etc., as an aid to planning; (later also) a similar exercise in which officers review the development and outcome of a past battle by visiting the battlefield and replaying and reconsidering the major decisions and events in situ.Exercises of the first kind were originally conducted by the Prussian General Staff in the late 19th cent., and are particularly associated with the innovations of Helmuth von Moltke (1800–91) as chief of that staff. Exercises of the later kind are associated with the United States Army Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. [Compare German Stabsreise (1876 or earlier); also Generalstabsreise (1858 or earlier).] ΚΠ 1897 Pall Mall Gaz. 29 Mar. (4th ed.) 8/3 Lord Roberts and Lord Frankfort de Montmorency initiated some spring military manœuvres last week in the shape of staff rides between Dublin and several points on the River Boyne. The results were very satisfactory. 1930 Brit. Med. Jrnl. 8 Mar. 474/2 The papers and appreciations that he wrote after a staff ride or field exercise were masterpieces, and were sometimes sent to the War Office. 2011 Wall St. Jrnl. 2 Apr. c3/1 For nearly 20 years, I've led and participated in Civil War ‘staff rides’, more than 50 of them at Gettysburg. 2017 J. A. Dredger Tactics & Procurem. in Habsburg Mil., 1866–1918 iii. 79 Albrecht and Beck realized the need to train more intelligent officers, especially in the general staff, with better practical application of knowledge through staff rides and realistic maneuvers. staff rider n. an officer taking part in a staff ride. Π 1906 Manch. Guardian 20 Aug. (Morning Express ed.) 10/1 It is only three years since the Motor Volunteer Corps was established... It saved the War Office a considerable amount of money during manœuvres and on staff riders. 2001 Army Hist. No. 51. 16/2 The staff riders split into two platoons, one led by Major Fleek and the other by Captain Melnyk. staff surgeon n. (in the army) a surgeon on the staff on a particular regiment, division, etc.; (in the navy) a senior surgeon; cf. Compounds 3a. Π 1775 R. Ingram Let. in St. James's Chron. 16–19 Dec. Mr. Adair very justly for that disagreeable Employ chose the junior Staff Surgeons. 1789 London Med. Jrnl. 10 110 Dominicus Spedicati, M. D. Staff-Surgeon of the Fleet. 1803 Duke of Wellington Dispatches (1844) I. 539 Mr. Gilmour, the Staff surgeon with this division of the army. 1959 Times 4 Mar. 14/7 He was promoted to the rank of Staff Surgeon in 1909. 2022 menafn.com (Nexis) 16 May [He] served in a variety of military positions since 1990, including as a staff surgeon and medical director of the Surgical Critical Care Service in Texas. staff wallah n. [compare wallah n. 3] slang a staff officer; (more generally) any army officer not involved in active combat. ΘΚΠ society > armed hostility > warrior > soldier > leader or commander > officer or soldier of rank > [noun] > staff officer staff officer1780 red hat1916 staff-wallah1951 1915 St. George's Gaz. 30 Oct. 198/2 Our late Commanding Officer, Maj. H. R. Sandilands, has left us to become a ‘Staff Wallah’. 1951 R. Campbell Light on Dark Horse xi. 145 A family connection who was only a staff-wallah, and jealous of my being a soldier. 2003 A. O. Mitha Unlikely Beginnings xii. 154 You Staff wallahs ask for information and never realize how difficult it is to gather it. C4. As a modifier, in sense 22. a. (a) Designating a person who is employed in the specified role on the staff of an organization, institution, etc., esp. a newspaper, news agency, broadcaster, etc., as in staff correspondent, staff journalist, staff reporter, etc. See also staff photographer n., staff writer n. ΚΠ 1859 Chester Chron. 26 Feb. 7/1 The salaries and wages of the staff porters. 1878 Galveston (Texas) Daily News 23 Apr. The Charleston (S. C.) News and Courier sent a staff reporter. 1902 Daily Chron. 13 May 10/7 Woman (Strong, active) as staff maid... Apply Housekeeper, Hotel Windsor. 1924 Western Daily Press (Bristol) 28 June 10/4 Commencing with the career of the staff journalist, Mr Joseph tells us what he has to expect and how he may hope to make good. 1984 V. S. Naipaul Finding Centre ii. 34 He had become the Guardian staff correspondent in the little market town of Chaguanas. 2013 Church Times 8 Nov. 9/1 The evangelist Dr Billy Graham released what is expected to be his last video-message yesterday on his 95th birthday, writes a staff reporter. (b) With the sense ‘of, relating to, or for the use of the staff of an organization, workplace, etc.’, as staff canteen, staff morale, staff shortage, staff training, etc. Π 1888 Pall Mall Gaz. 10 Aug. (4th ed.) 8/2 There are further recommendations as to school management, the inspection of schools, teachers, and staff training colleges. 1940 R. S. Lambert Ariel & all his Quality i. 33 He fought shy of..social gatherings, except for appearances at occasional staff dances. 1960 H. J. Klare Anat. of Prison xxi. 128 Since there is comparatively little staff training, group counsellors may not always utilize the potentialities of the group fully. 1972 K. Benton Spy in Chancery xvii. 192 She probably had lunch there. There's a staff canteen. 1993 C. MacDougall Lights Below 146 ‘We're running a bit late,’ the woman said. ‘Staff shortages, I'm afraid.’ 1998 New Scientist 8 Aug. 92/2 Staff morale's at rock bottom. 2002 D. Goleman et al. Business: Ultimate Resource 531/1 You can use a staff handbook for other company policies and documents such as a disciplinary procedure. 2020 C. Atkins Bit of Stretch vii. 193 The monthly lockdown for staff training is swiftly approaching. (c) With past participles, with the sense ‘by the staff of an organization, workplace, etc.’, as in staff-led, staff-owned, staff-run, etc., adjectives. Π 1933 Montana Standard (Butte) 11 July 4/2 It is making use of contributed and staff-written articles. 1966 Daily Tel. 12 Aug. 7/2 (advt.) We are a staff-owned company. 1978 AAUP Bull. 64 102/1 The University's Board of Trustees has declined to approve a staff-recommended resolution of the issue. 2010 Plymouth Herald (Nexis) 19 Oct. 8 They also gave a 15-minute presentation on plans to transfer management of community health services to a staff-run company. 2015 Calgary Herald (Nexis) 15 Dec. a2 It was an amazing, staff-led program. b. staff association n. a group formed by the employees of a company, institution, etc., to provide support to its members and represent their interests in discussions with management. ΘΠ society > occupation and work > working > association of employers or employees > [noun] combination1795 social partner1946 1861 Norfolk News 16 Feb. 5/2 Mr. Dye gave some information respecting the Sol Fa staff Association. 1968 Times 2 Feb. 21/6 But it is the growth of staff associations that is providing the ‘touch paper’ in a delicate situation. 2021 N.Y. Times (Nexis) 12 Mar. a18 She stressed that she was acting on behalf of the staff association, not the congressman. ‘This is honestly the closest thing we've got to a union’. staff meeting n. a meeting for the employees of an organization or institution; spec. a meeting of the teaching staff of a school. Π 1867 Western Daily Press (Bristol) 19 Mar. Mr Coe had said that he declined to attend a staff meeting. 1959 New Statesman 21 Feb. 259/3 Hours are wasted each week in administrative, non-teaching duties such as special staff meetings, frequent house meetings, tutorial group meetings. 1999 Vanity Fair Jan. 123/2 Its staff settled into a routine of..endless staff meetings. 2022 Lake Country Cal. (Winfield, Brit. Columbia) (Nexis) 13 Jan. a3 Schools opened this week with ‘re-enforced’ safety measures,..shifting to virtual assemblies and staff meetings. staff member n. an employee on the staff of an organization, institution, etc. Π 1879 Times (Philadelphia) 20 Oct. The other staff members present were one of Governor Jarvis' men and one of Governor Andrews'. 1931 Smith Coll. Stud. Soc. Work 1 407 Thirty-five cases of rejection were chosen in which staff members unanimously agreed to that diagnosis. 1970 Winnipeg (Manitoba) Free Press 26 Oct. 7/2 Montreal police sexually harassed in a most vulgar way a female staff member. 2020 New Yorker 22 June 63/3 She said that new staff members quickly ‘built up a brick wall’ in order to assimilate to the culture. staff photographer n. a photographer on the staff of a newspaper, news agency, or periodical. ΘΚΠ society > communication > journalism > journalist > [noun] > press photographer press photographer1901 staff photographer1941 monkey1983 society > leisure > the arts > visual arts > photography > photographer > [noun] > professional cameraman1883 press photographer1901 photojournalist1938 staff photographer1941 lensman1951 paparazzo1961 paparazzi1981 pap1988 1890 Columbus (Georgia) Enquirer-Sun 6 Mar. The third issue of ‘The Illustrated American’..will contain..realistic scenes taken by their own special staff photographer at Joliet, Ill. 1941 Times (Weekly ed.) 30 July 6/4 This special study was taken in the garden of 10, Downing Street by a staff photographer. 2014 Vanity Fair Nov. 98/1 A gorgeous portrait by staff photographer Justin Bishop. staff writer n. a writer employed on the staff of a newspaper, periodical, broadcaster, etc. [Compare Old English stæfwrītere grammarian (compare sense 18a).] ΘΚΠ society > communication > journalism > journalist > [noun] > staff writer staff writer1914 staffer1949 society > leisure > the arts > literature > writer or author > [noun] > writer employed on staff staff writer1914 1858 Wrexham & Denbighshire Advertiser 11 Dec. Mr Lowe..is known to be one of the staff writers of the Times newspaper. 1941 W. Abbot Handbk. Broadcasting (ed. 2) xxvi. 322 Staff writers prepare commercial continuity, talks, announcements, interviews, special-occasion scripts, original plays, adaptations, and often station publicity. 2000 Observer 18 June (Review section) 5/6 A former staff writer for the Village Voice, George was the first writer to document the growth of the fledgling rap biosphere in The Bronx. This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, December 2022). staffn.² Brit. /stɑːf/, /staf/, U.S. /stæf/ Etymology: Of obscure origin. A building material consisting of plaster mixed with fibre, used for temporary ornamental work. ΘΚΠ society > occupation and work > materials > derived or manufactured material > plaster > [noun] > plaster mixed with fibre staff1892 1892 Advance (Chicago) May 19 When mixed the staff is rolled out into slabs to be nailed to the sides of buildings, or made up in blocks..for statues, friezes or cornices. 1892 Times (Weekly ed.) 21 Oct. 10/1 They [the Exhibition buildings at Chicago] are..covered with the composition of plaster, cement, and hemp, or similar fibre, known as ‘Staff’. 1892 Times (Weekly ed.) 21 Oct. 10/1 The sculpture and decorations on the buildings are also chiefly of ‘staff’, being first modelled in clay. 1893 Offic. Guide World's Columbian Expos. 21 Staff was invented in France about 1876, and was first used in the buildings of the Paris Exposition in 1878. This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1915; most recently modified version published online March 2018). staffv. Brit. /stɑːf/, /staf/, U.S. /stæf/ Origin: Formed within English, by conversion. Etymon: staff n.¹ Etymology: < staff n.¹ (compare branch III. at that entry).Compare the following earlier instance, probably also showing conversion from staff n.¹ in sense ‘to pound with a stick’:c1400 MS Harvard Houghton Lat. 235 in Crafte of Lymmyng (2016) 293 Forto make a fyn red, tak brasil and staf it smal.Compare also the following earlier instances, formally showing conversion from staff n.¹, and corresponding in sense to stave v. 3 and stave v. 1b:?1507 W. Dunbar Tua Mariit Wemen (Rouen) in Poems (1998) I. 54 Sum stalwardly steppis ben with a stout curage, And a stif standand thing staiffis in mi neiff.c1680 (c1590) Forme & Maner holding Courts of Admiraltie in Tractatus Legum Navalium f. 64 in Dict. Older Sc. Tongue at Staf Queritur: Shall any safe wynes contribute with your leck wynes. Resp. If they be not staffed. Hoc est. The girths cutted and the punshion dung in peices and the wyne let out that ther remain nothing for pype stawes. 1. transitive (frequently in passive). To provide (a business, organization, household, etc.) with staff; to serve on the staff of (a business or organization); to constitute the staff of (a place). ΘΚΠ society > occupation and work > working > labour supply > [verb (transitive)] > provide with staff staff1859 to man up1947 1859 Times 20 Aug. 7/6 We end by being efficiently and sensibly equipped, commanded, and staffed. 1881 19th Cent. Apr. 656 Two or three such women, a care-taker, and a cook would adequately staff each home. 1888 Mrs. H. Ward Robert Elsmere III. v. xxxiii. 55 A powerful church of the new type, staffed by friends and pupils of Pusey. 1904 Catholic Times 1 Jan. 8/3 To furnish and staff some three or four first class day schools for boys. 1959 Control Feb. 97/3 The..control room..is staffed by two rollermen and a member of the metallurgical department who keeps an eye on ingot quality. 1996 Japan Times 29 Apr. 9/6 The government has to churn out more home-grown engineers and business graduates to staff the high-technology, less labor-reliant industries of the future. 2018 ‘Akala’ Natives (2019) i. 6 Our grandmothers had helped build the National Health Service and our grandfathers had staffed the public transport system. 2. transitive. to staff up: to hire additional members of staff for (a company, organization, etc.), esp. to deal with a new project, campaign, or the like. Also intransitive: to increase the number of staff in this way. Π 1935 Washington Post 21 Feb. 2/3 In addition to staffing up the Senate so notably, it [sc. Texas] has done fairly well in taking command of House committees. 1951 Newsweek 1 Jan. 41/1 Wilson staffs up for big push. 1971 Times 11 June 21/1 Consulting firms..staffed up in the first half of 1970 to meet a demand which has so far never materialized. 1996 F. Popcorn & L. Marigold Clicking i. 22 We were motivated to sign a lease for..office space on 57th and Madison and staffed up with qualified people. 2022 Scunthorpe Tel. (Nexis) 6 Jan. 4 It was creating 70 new roles to staff up the Leads Road plant that has helped it triple manufacturing capacity. 3. transitive. North American (usually in political contexts). to staff out: to send out (a proposal or other piece of work) to staff for consultation or revision. Π 1961 3rd Suppl. Appropriation Bill: Hearings before Comm. on Appropriations (U.S. Senate 87th Congr. 1st Sess.) 354 If in their opinion after they have staffed it out there is adverse impact on the economy, then the loan does not go through. 1963 Virginia Q. Rev. 39 542 A prediction of what the American Government would decide to do in a contingency that probably had not been ‘staffed out’ in advance. 2003 New Yorker 13 Jan. 27/3 One thing it was not was the product of careful policy deliberation. It had not been, as they say, staffed out. 2008 Gazette (Montreal) (Nexis) 1 Oct. a23 So the question that obviously arises is, did he staff it out, and if so who was his speechwriter at the time? This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, December 2022). < n.¹eOEn.²1892v.1859
随便看	profitability profitable profitableness profitablenesses profitably profitbearing profitconscious profitconsciously profitearning profited profiteer profiteered profiteering profiteerings profiteers profiter profiterole profiteroles profiters profitful profitgenerating profitgrinder profithungry profithunting profiting

staffn.1

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Compounds

staffn.2

staffv.

staffn.¹

staffn.²