stave

(stāv)

a. A narrow strip of wood forming part of the sides of a barrel, tub, or similar structure.

b. One of the wooden planks in a stave wall.

2. A rung of a ladder or chair.

3. A staff or cudgel.

4. Music See staff¹.

5. A set of verses; a stanza.

tr.v. staved or stove (stōv), stav·ing, staves

To crush or smash inward, often by making a hole. Often used with in: "The jetliner had staved in the south side of the structure. The plane had ripped a hole 150 feet wide" (Bill Sammon).

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.]

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

stave off

(tr, adverb) to avert or hold off (something undesirable or harmful), esp temporarily: to stave off hunger.

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

Verb

stave off - prevent the occurrence of; prevent from happening; "Let's avoid a confrontation"; "head off a confrontation"; "avert a strike"

deflect, fend off, forefend, forfend, head off, avert, ward off, avoid, debar, obviate

foreclose, forestall, preclude, prevent, forbid - keep from happening or arising; make impossible; "My sense of tact forbids an honest answer"; "Your role in the projects precludes your involvement in the competitive project"

stave off

verb hold off, avert, ward off, parry, evade, fend off, keep at bay, keep at arm's length a desperate attempt to stave off defeat

Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

stave

noun

A fairly long straight piece of solid material used especially as a support in walking:

cane, staff, stick, walking stick.

phrasal verb
stave off

To prohibit from occurring by advance planning or action:

avert, forestall, forfend, obviate, preclude, prevent, rule out, ward (off).

Idiom: nip in the bud.

Translations

w>stave off

vt sep

attack → zurückschlagen; threat, crisis, cold → abwehren; defeat, disaster, bankruptcy → abwenden; hunger, boredom → lindern

(= delay) person → hinhalten; crisis, day → hinausschieben

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

Mentioned in

References in classic literature

The messengers who may ask for any of us will not be witnesses only, they may help to stave off danger." Seeing query in her face, he went on: "Of what kind the danger may be, I know not, and cannot guess.

View in context

A sort of shivering gentility had kept her aloof from the rest of her fellow-workers, but it took more than a shivering gentility to stave off Polly.

View in context

CREON If wail and lamentation aught availed To stave off death, I trow they'd never end.

View in context

Oftentimes Tarzan went empty for more than a full sun, and he had passed through entire moons during which he had been but barely able to stave off starvation; but such times were infrequent.

View in context

They conceal something; they exaggerate chances of good luck; hide away the real state of affairs; say that things are flourishing when they are hopeless, keep a smiling face (a dreary smile it is) upon the verge of bankruptcy--are ready to lay hold of any pretext for delay or of any money, so as to stave off the inevitable ruin a few days longer.

View in context

Achilles and I are quarrelling about this girl, in which matter I was the first to offend; if we can be of one mind again, the Trojans will not stave off destruction for a day.

View in context

Their 196 for six was not enough as the home side dug in to almost certainly stave off relegation.

Skipper's key role for first victory in six starts

For more than a year now Pakistan has struggled to stave off a looming balance-of-payments crisis while its economy teeters due to low growth, soaring inflation, and mounting debt.

US dollar reaches all time high of Rs146.25 in open market

Forces stave off Mumbai-style terrorist attack on Gwadar hotel

CM lauds successful Gwadar operation

Like so many westerners with an urge to help, he takes matters into his own hands by constructing a well to help stave off the deadly drought that threatens his new home but quickly finds that water scarcity is not the biggest threat.

Claire Hajaj: The Water Thief

Summary: Turkish-backed rebels said Sunday that they expected to finish withdrawing heavy weapons from a planned buffer zone in northwestern Syria within days under a deal to stave off a regime attack.

Syria rebels withdraw arms from buffer zone

President Tsai Ing-wen should confirm rumors of a trip to Paraguay in August to stave off efforts by China to lure away more allies, experts said Saturday.

Taiwan President should visit Paraguay ahead of G20: experts