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
4
staved or stove
ˈstōv 
; staving
; staving
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
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
Jonah Flicker, Robb Report, 16 Feb. 2024
The Singapore edition was created in collaboration with chef Willin Low and Jigger and Pony bar director Aki Eguchi, who presumably were involved to some degree with selecting the combination of staves used to finish the whiskey and capture a little bit of Singapore in a bottle.
—Jonah Flicker, Robb Report, 16 Feb. 2024
Bolus likes to use barrel staves, or sections of wood from bourbon barrels, to place in the bottom of the smoker.
—Southern Living Editors, Southern Living, 5 Feb. 2024
Create a notebook and you'll be offered a few different patterns aside from a standard blank page—wide and college-ruled, graph paper, a few different kinds of day planners, and even musical staves.
—Andrew Cunningham, Ars Technica, 16 Jan. 2023
The blend is finished with French oak staves for three to six months, a step that is similar to the process used by distilleries like Maker’s Mark that use staves to finish its Maker’s 46 expression.
—Jonah Flicker, Robb Report, 22 Dec. 2023
Coffee Liqueur staves and one-third Blood Orange Coffee Liqueur staves, a limited release from Laurel Canyon Spirits.
—Jonah Flicker, Robb Report, 14 Nov. 2023
Next the staves were steamed to become more flexible and flattened into boards.
—Jonah Flicker, Robb Report, 28 July 2023
Step 2: Shape the Bow Roughly shape your bow from the green stave.
—Keith McCafferty, Field & Stream, 29 June 2023
Danny Emerman, The Mercury News, 31 Mar. 2024
Any time Golden State threatened to make a run, the Knicks staved them off.
—Danny Emerman, The Mercury News, 19 Mar. 2024
The coach with robust English Premier League experience just spent the last part of the Premier League season in Leicester City, stepping in as interim head coach for the team’s final eight games, trying to stave the team off relegation.
—Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 22 Feb. 2024
The trees provide nectar and shelter for native ants, and to return the favor, these ants protect them from animals looking to take a bite to eat; whenever herbivores try to eat from the tree, the ants start biting and emitting formic acid to stave them off.
—Jack Knudson, Discover Magazine, 25 Jan. 2024
New social practices, including moderation and thread-locking, arose to stave them off.
—Ian Bogost, The Atlantic, 18 Jan. 2024
So restaurants stave them off with bread and salads until their orders are ready.
—Jacobina Martin, Washington Post, 30 Oct. 2023
There are precious few legislative days left for both chambers this month, and none of the appropriations bills that need to be signed into law to stave out a shutdown have passed both chambers (in fact, just one, Military Construction and Veterans Affairs, has passed the House).
—Rebecca Kaplan, NBC News, 13 Sep. 2023
This is why studies suggest a person who challenges themselves mentally through puzzles or language learning could stave it off.
—Emilie Le Beau Lucchesi, Discover Magazine, 8 May 2023
Noun
And over the past few years, different releases in its Wood Finishing Series have come out, each finished with a variety of oak staves that are cooked to different levels to impart unique flavors into the whiskey.
—Jonah Flicker, Robb Report, 16 Feb. 2024
The Singapore edition was created in collaboration with chef Willin Low and Jigger and Pony bar director Aki Eguchi, who presumably were involved to some degree with selecting the combination of staves used to finish the whiskey and capture a little bit of Singapore in a bottle.
—Jonah Flicker, Robb Report, 16 Feb. 2024
Bolus likes to use barrel staves, or sections of wood from bourbon barrels, to place in the bottom of the smoker.
—Southern Living Editors, Southern Living, 5 Feb. 2024
Create a notebook and you'll be offered a few different patterns aside from a standard blank page—wide and college-ruled, graph paper, a few different kinds of day planners, and even musical staves.
—Andrew Cunningham, Ars Technica, 16 Jan. 2023
The blend is finished with French oak staves for three to six months, a step that is similar to the process used by distilleries like Maker’s Mark that use staves to finish its Maker’s 46 expression.
—Jonah Flicker, Robb Report, 22 Dec. 2023
Coffee Liqueur staves and one-third Blood Orange Coffee Liqueur staves, a limited release from Laurel Canyon Spirits.
—Jonah Flicker, Robb Report, 14 Nov. 2023
Next the staves were steamed to become more flexible and flattened into boards.
—Jonah Flicker, Robb Report, 28 July 2023
Step 2: Shape the Bow Roughly shape your bow from the green stave.
—Keith McCafferty, Field & Stream, 29 June 2023
Verb
As the Rockets continue surging, the Warriors’ four-game winning streak is staving them off as Houston is two games behind Golden State for the 10th and final play-in spot.
—Danny Emerman, The Mercury News, 31 Mar. 2024
Any time Golden State threatened to make a run, the Knicks staved them off.
—Danny Emerman, The Mercury News, 19 Mar. 2024
The coach with robust English Premier League experience just spent the last part of the Premier League season in Leicester City, stepping in as interim head coach for the team’s final eight games, trying to stave the team off relegation.
—Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 22 Feb. 2024
The trees provide nectar and shelter for native ants, and to return the favor, these ants protect them from animals looking to take a bite to eat; whenever herbivores try to eat from the tree, the ants start biting and emitting formic acid to stave them off.
—Jack Knudson, Discover Magazine, 25 Jan. 2024
New social practices, including moderation and thread-locking, arose to stave them off.
—Ian Bogost, The Atlantic, 18 Jan. 2024
So restaurants stave them off with bread and salads until their orders are ready.
—Jacobina Martin, Washington Post, 30 Oct. 2023
There are precious few legislative days left for both chambers this month, and none of the appropriations bills that need to be signed into law to stave out a shutdown have passed both chambers (in fact, just one, Military Construction and Veterans Affairs, has passed the House).
—Rebecca Kaplan, NBC News, 13 Sep. 2023
This is why studies suggest a person who challenges themselves mentally through puzzles or language learning could stave it off.
—Emilie Le Beau Lucchesi, Discover Magazine, 8 May 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'stave.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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
Phrases Containing stave
Dictionary Entries Near stave
Cite this Entry
“Stave.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stave. Accessed 16 Apr. 2024.
Copy Citation
Kids Definition
stave
1 of 2 noun1
: 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
stave
2 of 2 verb
staved or stove
ˈstōv
; staving
; 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
Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for stave
Nglish: Translation of stave for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of stave for Arabic Speakers
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about stave
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