stave

noun

\ ˈstāv

Definition of stave

(Entry 1 of 2)

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 : staff entry 1 sense 1

3 : staff entry 1 sense 3

4 : stanza sense 1

stave

verb

staved or stove\ ˈstōv

\; staving

Definition of stave (Entry 2 of 2)

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: Noun Instead, anchor the stave in the ground over bare soil or rocks. — T. Edward Nickens, Field & Stream, "Wild Fires," 9 Jan. 2017 Leave enough room on the end of each stave to cut off roughly 6 inches, where the wood might have cracks. — Andrew Del-colle, Popular Mechanics, "How to Make Your Own Bow and Arrow By Hand," 16 Aug. 2020 With a hatchet or a knife and baton, split the thicker end of the branch with two perpendicular lengthwise cuts down the stave about 10 inches. — T. Edward Nickens, Field & Stream, "Wild Fires," 9 Jan. 2017 Choose a bow stave that is relatively straight and generally free of knots, side branches, and twists, roughly 2 inches in diameter. — Tim Macwelch, Outdoor Life, "9 Tips For Building a Bow (and Arrows) in a Survival Situation," 25 June 2020 For same day shooting, pick a bow stave that is dead and dry, but not rotten. — Tim Macwelch, Outdoor Life, "9 Tips For Building a Bow (and Arrows) in a Survival Situation," 25 June 2020 This one, a collaboration between Bud and Jim Beam, is aged on six-year JB bourbon-barrel staves. — Marc Bona, cleveland, "10 beers to try in April (photos)," 12 Apr. 2020 Three years earlier, Maker’s Mark launched the Private Select program, allowing barrel customizations for up to 1,001 different combinations depending on the use of five different finishing staves. — John Kell, Fortune, "Whiskey makers are bending the rules for barrel-aging, signaling a new wave for bourbon," 29 Mar. 2020 This week, another Reuters image emerged, of a Muslim man on all fours, bloodied and bowed, trying to shield his head from the dozen or so men encircling him and beating him with staves. — Samanth Subramanian, The New Yorker, "How the Indian Government Watched Delhi Burn," 27 Feb. 2020 Recent Examples on the Web: Verb Republican governors and elites have a window to stave this off by encouraging adoption and emphasizing privacy-preserving features. — Sarah Kreps, Fortune, "Americans don’t trust contact tracing apps. Here’s how we can fix that," 17 Aug. 2020 Some cities, like Miami and Orlando, have enacted curfews and alcohol prohibitions in an effort to stave the rise of new COVID-19 cases, but most establishments are ignoring that rule, possibly to keep the money coming. — Emy Rodriguez Flores, Woman's Day, "I Live in The New Pandemic "Hot Spot," and Trying to Live With Caution Is a Challenge," 12 July 2020 Those officers left to contend with the crowd tried desperately to stave them off with a water hose, as their leadership had ordered them not to fire their weapons on the rioters. — Francine Uenuma, Smithsonian Magazine, "One Hundred Years Ago, a Lynch Mob Killed Three Men in Minnesota," 10 June 2020 For Ginger — named for her sandy coloring and classic looks — the prognosis will never improve, fixes will only stave her inevitable decline. — Rebecca Pacheco, BostonGlobe.com, "When a car becomes a companion, how do you know when it’s time to let it go?," 6 Feb. 2019 Illness, suffering, death, and the limits of our efforts to stave them off—these adversaries have been with us forever. — Christopher Beha, Harper's Magazine, "Tests of Time," 25 May 2020 Norwegian Cruise Lines recently raised $2 billion to stave of bankruptcy concerns, and other cruise lines have yet to provide itineraries about their return to sailing. — al, "Carnival leaves Mobile again, and taxpayers are stuck with the bills," 8 May 2020 Regardless of you stove’s age, after every camping trip, inspect it for gas leaks by connecting your canister, closing the valves, and listening for any hissing. — Amelia Arvesen, Outside Online, "When to Replace Your Camping Gear," 21 Apr. 2020 According to researchers, watching a favorite show staves it off, but a Netflix binge is a sign of it. — Sarah Fay, Longreads, "On Solitude (and Isolation and Loneliness [and Brackets])," 17 Mar. 2020

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'stave.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.