"piece of a barrel," 1750, back-formation from staves (late 14c.), plural of staff, with the usual change of medial -f- to -v- (compare leaves/leaf). The plural form possibly was in Old English but not recorded there.
stave (v.)
1540s, "to fit with staves," from stave (n.). The meaning "break into staves" is from 1590s (with in from 1748, chiefly nautical, on notion of bashing in the staves of a cask). Past tense stove. Stave off (1620s), however, is literally "keep off with a staff," as of one beset by wolves or dogs. Related: Staved; staving.
雙語例句
1. He is utterly ignorant of staff [ stave ] .
他對 五線譜 一竅不通.
來自《現代漢英綜合大詞典》
2. Many people switch on the television simply to stave off boredom over the Christmas break.
很多人打開電視僅僅是為了打發聖誕節休息期間的無聊時光而已。
來自柯林斯例句
3. In a desperate attempt to stave off defeat, he reluctantly promised wholesale reform of the constitution.
為了竭力避免敗局，他勉強答應要對憲法進行大規模修改。
來自柯林斯例句
4. But the reality of discovery was a different matter, and he did all he could to stave it off.
但所發現的實際情況完全是另一回事，所以他隻好盡自己所能暫緩其發生。
來自柯林斯例句
5. To stave off disaster we could look only to them.