stave (st v)n.1. A narrow strip of wood forming part of the sides of a barrel, tub, or similar structure. 2. A rung of a ladder or chair. 3. A staff or cudgel. 5. A set of verses; a stanza. v. staved or stove (st v), stav·ing, staves v.tr.1. To break in or puncture the staves of. 2. To break or smash a hole in. 3. To crush or smash inward. 4. To furnish with staves. v.intr. To be or become crushed in. Phrasal Verb: stave off To keep or hold off; repel: "For 12 years, we've sought to stave off this ultimate threat of disaster" (New York Times).
[Back-formation from staves, pl. of staff.] |
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| Seeing, now, that there were no curtains to the window, and that the street being very narrow, the house opposite commanded a plain view into the room, and observing more and more the indecorous figure that Queequeg made, staving about with little else but his hat and boots on; I begged him as well as I could, to accelerate his toilet somewhat, and particularly to get into his pantaloons as soon as possible. But there was no staving off the question, What was to be done? But they were not long without light, for they had not gone far when they heard the crowd forcing the door; and, looking back among the low-arched passages, could see them in the distance, hurrying to and fro with flashing links, broaching the casks, staving the great vats, turning off upon the right hand and the left, into the different cellars, and lying down to drink at the channels of strong spirits which were already flowing on the ground. |