definitions

quarterstaff

[ kwawr-ter-staf, -stahf ]
/ ˈkwɔr tərˌstæf, -ˌstɑf /
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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.

RELATED WORDS

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

Nearby words

quartermaster corps, quartermaster general, quartern, quarters, quartersaw, quarterstaff, quartet, quartic, quartile, quarto, quartz

Origin of quarterstaff

First recorded in 1540–50; quarter + staff1
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

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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