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ENGLISH DICTIONARY

Staff

/stɑːf/ · noun

Meaning

(plural staffs or staves) A long, straight, thick wooden rod or stick, especially one used to assist in walking..

Definitions by Sense

  1. (plural staffs or staves) A long, straight, thick wooden rod or stick, especially one used to assist in walking.
  2. (music, plural staffs or staves) A series of horizontal lines on which musical notes are written; a stave.
  3. (plural staff or staffs) The employees of a business.
  4. (uncountable) A mixture of plaster and fibre used as a temporary exterior wall covering.ᵂ
  5. A pole, stick, or wand borne as an ensign of authority; a badge of office.
  6. A pole upon which a flag is supported and displayed.
  7. (archaic) The rung of a ladder.
  8. A series of verses so disposed that, when it is concluded, the same order begins again; a stanza; a stave.

Example Sentences

And thus ſhall ye eate it [the lamb]: with your loines girded, your ſhooes on your feet, and your ſtaffe in your hand: and ye ſhall eate it in haſte: it is the Lords Paſſeouer.
The case was that of a murder. It had an element of mystery about it, however, which was puzzling the authorities. A turban and loincloth soaked in blood had been found; also a staff.
The company employed 10 new members of staff this month.
The company has taken on 1600 more highly-paid staff.
No department of the Southern Railway escaped some share of the work involved, and the outdoor traffic and locomotive staffs in particular were engaged literally night and day, snatching a few hours' sleep as opportunity offered, until the task was completed.
Most staff do not have the skills to cope with such challenging patients, who too often receive "impersonal" care and suffer from boredom, the first National Audit of Dementia found. It says hospitals should introduce "dementia champions".
It turns out that, in journalistic terms, and especially at the FT, where many staff see out their entire careers, seven years is nothing.
a constable's staff

Synonyms for staff

stickstavepersonnelfaculty

Antonyms for staff

Related Words

stavefacultyrodbatonalpenstockbedsideboxequipmentequippingcabinetteamequipenclosureelementscadrecrewlevelheadquartersfillcontracting

Word Forms

Usage Notes

Choose a synonym only when it preserves the intended meaning, tone, and grammar of the full sentence.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What does staff mean?

Staff means (plural staffs or staves) A long, straight, thick wooden rod or stick, especially one used to assist in walking..

What is a synonym for staff?

Common synonyms include stick, stave, personnel, faculty.

What is the opposite of staff?

The opposite depends on the specific sense.

How do you use staff in a sentence?

And thus ſhall ye eate it [the lamb]: with your loines girded, your ſhooes on your feet, and your ſtaffe in your hand: and ye ſhall eate it in haſte: it is the Lords Paſſeouer.

Sources & Attribution

FreeDictionaryAPI.com / Wiktionary · Original source · CC BY-SA 4.0

Dictionary data is provided by FreeDictionaryAPI.com and sourced from Wiktionary under its stated license.