Staff Definition
stăf
staffed, staffs, staves
noun
staffs
A stick or cane carried as an aid in walking or climbing.
American Heritage
A stick, rod, or pole.
Webster's New World
A pole on which a flag is displayed; a flagstaff.
American Heritage
A group of people assisting a chief, manager, president, or other leader.
Webster's New World
A rod or baton carried as a symbol of authority.
American Heritage
verb
staffed, staffs
To provide with a staff, as of workers.
Webster's New World
To serve on the staff of (an organization).
American Heritage
To supply (a business) with employees.
Wiktionary
adjective
Of, by, for, or on a staff; specif., employed full-time, as on a magazine staff, rather than as a freelance writer.
Webster's New World
Origin of Staff
-
Old English stæf, from Proto-Germanic *stabaz. Cognate with Dutch staf, German Stab, Swedish stav. Sense of "group of military officers that assists a commander", attested from 1702, is influenced from German Stab.
From Wiktionary
Middle English staf from Old English stæf
From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition
Perhaps from German Stoff stuff
From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition
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