stave

/steɪv/ (bre, ipa) · [stˈev] /steɪv/ (ame, ipa) · [stˈev] /ˈstāv How to pronounce stave (audio)/ (ame, mw)

stave — noun

  • stavesingular
  • stavesplural

1. the set of five parallel lines, with the spaces between them, that show where no

1.名詞C1
釋義

the set of five parallel lines, with the spaces between them, that show where notes go in written music.

例句

Jisoo wrote the melody on the top stave before class began.

write a melody on the stave

The teacher drew another stave so the choir could copy the harmony.

draw another stave for copying music

同義詞
  • staff

    the usual American term for the same set of music lines

  • music staff

    a fuller label used when the musical meaning needs to be made explicit

文法句型

write + notes/music + on the stave

notes above/below + the stave

用法筆記

Chiefly British in this sense. American English usually uses 'staff' for the same music term, and the noun often appears with 'on', 'above', or 'below'.

常見錯誤

❌Write the notes in the stave.
✅Write the notes on the stave.
💡English usually treats the music lines as a surface, so 'on' is the normal preposition.

2. one of the long curved pieces joined together to make the side of a barrel, tub,

2.名詞C2
釋義

one of the long curved pieces joined together to make the side of a barrel, tub, or similar container.

例句

Ryan replaced a cracked stave before the cider leaked onto the floor.

replace a cracked stave

The barrel maker heated the oak staves and bent them around metal hoops.

oak staves around metal hoops

同義詞
  • slat

    a broader word for a thin strip, not only for barrels

  • plank

    usually flatter and wider than a stave

文法句型

a stave of a barrel

barrel staves

用法筆記

Usually appears in descriptions of barrels, casks, and buckets. The plural 'staves' is common when people talk about all the side pieces together.

常見錯誤

❌The barrel is made from one stave.
✅The barrel is made from many staves.
💡a single stave is only one side piece, not the whole container.

3. a heavy stick or pole that someone can lean on, hold up, or use to strike with.

3.名詞C2
釋義

a heavy stick or pole that someone can lean on, hold up, or use to strike with.

例句

Henrik walked with a stave while his ankle healed after the fall.

walk with a stave

The guard planted his stave beside the gate during the ceremony.

plant a stave beside + place

同義詞
  • staff

    commoner everyday word for a long supporting stick

  • rod

    broader and not always thick enough to lean on

  • cudgel

    stresses use as a weapon rather than as support

文法句型

walk with a stave

carry a stave

用法筆記

This sense often appears in historical or rural settings. For an ordinary modern aid for walking, English more often uses 'walking stick' or 'staff'.

stave — verb