Stave \Stave\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Staved (st[=a]vd) or
Stove (st[=o]v); p. pr. & vb. n. Staving.] [From Stave,
n., or Staff, n.]
1. To break in a stave or the staves of; to break a hole in;
to burst; -- often with in; as, to stave a cask; to stave
in a boat.
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2. To push, as with a staff; -- with off.
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The condition of a servant staves him off to a
distance. --South.
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3. To delay by force or craft; to drive away; -- usually with
off; as, to stave off the execution of a project.
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And answered with such craft as women use,
Guilty or guiltless, to stave off a chance
That breaks upon them perilously. --Tennyson.
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4. To suffer, or cause, to be lost by breaking the cask.
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All the wine in the city has been staved. --Sandys.
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5. To furnish with staves or rundles. --Knolles.
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6. To render impervious or solid by driving with a calking
iron; as, to stave lead, or the joints of pipes into which
lead has been run.
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To stave and tail, in bear baiting, (to stave) to interpose
with the staff, doubtless to stop the bear; (to tail) to
hold back the dog by the tail. --Nares.
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