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
Ray Hanley, arkansasonline.com, 9 Jan. 2025
The barrels used have a #4 deep char on the staves and a #2 char on the barrel heads.
—Joseph V Micallef, Forbes, 2 Jan. 2025
Kelly Phillips Erb, Forbes, 10 Jan. 2025
For example, a mid-century handmade potbelly stove ornament doesn’t hang all that far on my tree from an arguably humiliating fifth grade craft project and Snapfish.com creation immortalizing the Germantown neighborhood's now shuttered Come Back Inn.
—Maggie Menderski, The Courier-Journal, 18 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for stave 
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Noun
Leslie, circa 1912: At the time, the Searcy County town was home to perhaps the largest stave mills in the world.
—Ray Hanley, arkansasonline.com, 9 Jan. 2025
The barrels used have a #4 deep char on the staves and a #2 char on the barrel heads.
—Joseph V Micallef, Forbes, 2 Jan. 2025
Verb
To stave that off, Congress passed two continuing resolutions that largely funded most programs and activities at the fiscal year 2024 levels, with some exceptions.
—Kelly Phillips Erb, Forbes, 10 Jan. 2025
For example, a mid-century handmade potbelly stove ornament doesn’t hang all that far on my tree from an arguably humiliating fifth grade craft project and Snapfish.com creation immortalizing the Germantown neighborhood's now shuttered Come Back Inn.
—Maggie Menderski, The Courier-Journal, 18 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for stave
Dictionary Entries Near stave
Cite this Entry
“Stave.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stave. Accessed 18 Jan. 2025.
Copy CitationKids 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
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