Definition of stave

The word "stave" originated from the Old Norse word "staf," which translates to "staff" or "rod." It was commonly used to refer to a long, wooden stick or pole that served various practical purposes, such as for support, transportation, or defense. In Old English, the word "stāf" was adopted from Old Norse and used to describe not just wooden staffs but also written lines or strokes on a page, referring both to individual lines and to collections of lines. By the Middle English period, "stave" came to refer primarily to the lines in a stanza, and by the Early Modern English period, it was restricted to refer to the wooden supports that form the framework of a barrel. The versatile history of the word "stave" highlights the connections between language, culture, and context. It demonstrates how words can shift in meaning over time due to changes in usage, as well as how the same word can take on entirely different associations based on the context in which it is encountered.