quarterstaff

[ kwawr-ter-staf, -stahf ]
/ ˈkwɔr tərˌstæf, -ˌstɑf /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR quarterstaff ON THESAURUS.COM

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.

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Origin of quarterstaff

First recorded in 1540–50; quarter + staff1

Words nearby quarterstaff

quartermaster corps, quartermaster general, quartern, quarters, quartersaw, quarterstaff, quartet, quartic, quartile, quarto, quartz
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Words related to quarterstaff

business, staff, sap, cudgel, works, bludgeon, baton, mace, blackjack, truncheon, hammer, nightstick, hickory, mallet, shillelagh, billy, swatter, rosewood, cosh, persuader

Example sentences 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 Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012