stave / stāv/ • n. 1. a vertical wooden post or plank in a building or other structure. ∎  any of the lengths of wood attached side by side to make a barrel, bucket, or other container. ∎  a strong wooden stick or iron pole used as a weapon.2. Mus. another term for staff¹ (sense 4).3. a verse or stanza of a poem.• v. [tr.] 1. (past and past part. staved or stove / stōv/ ) (stave something in) break something by forcing it inward or piercing it roughly: the door was staved in.2. (past and past part. staved) (stave something off) avert or delay something bad or dangerous: a reassuring presence can stave off a panic attack.

stave.
1. Upright cleft thick timber, usually with a groove for vertical jointing, used for walls and load-bearing, rather than infilling.

2. One of several small vertical timbers with pointed ends set between studs in a timber frame, placed far enough apart to accommodate interweaving rods or other backing for infill panels.

3. Small vertical cylindrical bar used to form hay-racks to feed horses in stables.

4. One of many timbers shaped to form wooden barrels.

stave stick or lath of wood XIV; verse, stanza XVII; set of lines to carry musical notation XVIII. Back-formation from staves, pl. of STAFF.
Hence stave vb. break up (a cask) into staves XVI; break a hole in (a boat, etc.), make a hole in; drive off with a staff or stave; keep or ward off XVII.

stave. Same as staff.