quarterstaff
[ kwawr-ter-staf, -stahf ]
/ ˈkwɔr tərˌstæf, -ˌstɑf /
noun, plural quar·ter·staves [kwawr-ter-steyvz] /ˈkwɔr tərˌsteɪvz/, quar·ter·staffs.
a former English weapon consisting of a stout pole 6 to 8 feet (1.8 to 2.4 meters) long, tipped with iron.
exercise or fighting with this weapon.
Nearby words
quartermaster corps, quartermaster general, quartern, quarters, quartersaw, quarterstaff, quartes, quartet, quartic, quartile, quarto
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Examples from the Web for quarterstaff
British Dictionary definitions for quarterstaff
quarterstaff
/ (ˈkwɔːtəˌstɑːf) /
noun plural -staves (-ˌsteɪvz, -ˌstɑːvz)
a stout iron-tipped wooden staff about 6ft long, formerly used in England as a weapon
the use of such a staff in fighting, sport, or exercise
Word Origin for quarterstaff
C16: of uncertain origin
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Word Origin and History for quarterstaff
quarterstaff
also quarter-staff, 1540s (quarter-stroke "stroke with a quarterstaff" is attested from early 15c.), stout pole, six to eight feet long (six-and-a-half sometimes is given as the standard length), tipped with iron, formerly a weapon used by the English peasantry. From staff (n.). The quarter likely is in reference to its operation.
It was grasped by one hand in the middle, and by the other between the middle and the end. In the attack the latter hand shifted from one quarter of the staff to the other, giving the weapon a rapid circular motion, which brought the ends on the adversary at unexpected points. [Century Dictionary]
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper