stave

1 of 2

noun

1
: any of the narrow strips of wood or narrow iron plates placed edge to edge to form the sides, covering, or lining of a vessel (such as a barrel) or structure
2
3
4

stave

2 of 2

verb

staved or stove ˈstōv How to pronounce stave (audio) ; staving

transitive verb

1
: to smash a hole in
stove in the boat
also : to crush or break inward
staved in several ribs
2
: to break in the staves of (a cask)
3
: to drive or thrust away

intransitive verb

1
: to walk or move rapidly
2
archaic : to become stove in
used of a boat or ship

Examples of stave in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
For the final bottling, the extraordinary step was taken to assemble a special barrel using the staves and heads from barrels that aged Chapters 1-5. Tony Sachs, Forbes.com, 20 May 2025 Using interchangeable staves allows distillers to experiment with wood varieties that wouldn’t be viable for a full cask. Andy Vasoyan, Forbes.com, 1 Apr. 2025
Verb
The fluctuations are what make watching the 162-game grind all the more fascinating and make those able to stave them off feel greater than mortal. Fabian Ardaya, New York Times, 26 June 2025 But Sabalenka hit the baseline with a forehand that staved it off. Adam Zagoria, Forbes.com, 7 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for stave

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, back-formation from staves, plural of staf staff

First Known Use

Noun

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Verb

circa 1595, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of stave was in the 13th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Stave.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stave. Accessed 2 Jul. 2025.

Kids Definition

stave

1 of 2 noun
1
: a wooden stick
2
: one of the narrow strips of wood or iron plates placed edge to edge to form the sides, covering, or lining of a vessel (as a barrel or cask) or structure
3
: stanza
4

stave

2 of 2 verb
staved or stove ˈstōv How to pronounce stave (audio) ; staving
1
: to break in the staves of (a cask)
2
: to smash a hole in
stave in a boat

More from Merriam-Webster on stave

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!