staff

[ staf, stahf ]

/ stæf, stɑf /

Save This Word!

See synonyms for staff on Thesaurus.com

noun, plural staffs for 1-5, 9; staves [steyvz] /steɪvz/ or staffs for 6-8, 10, 11.

a group of persons, as employees, charged with carrying out the work of an establishment or executing some undertaking.

a group of assistants to a manager, superintendent, or executive.

a member of a staff.

Military.

a body of officers without command authority, appointed to assist a commanding officer.
the parts of any army concerned with administrative matters, planning, etc., rather than with actual participation in combat.

those members of an organization serving only in an auxiliary or advisory capacity on a given project.Compare line¹ (def. 38).

a stick, pole, or rod for aid in walking or climbing, for use as a weapon, etc.

a rod or wand serving as a symbol of office or authority, as a crozier, baton, truncheon, or mace.

a pole on which a flag is hung or displayed.

something that supports or sustains.

Also stave .Music. a set of horizontal lines, now five in number, with the corresponding four spaces between them, on which music is written.

Archaic. the shaft of a spear, lance, etc.

adjective

of or relating to a military or organizational staff: a staff officer; staff meetings.

(of a professional person) employed on the staff of a corporation, publication, institution, or the like rather than being self-employed or practicing privately: a staff writer; staff physicians at the hospital.

verb (used with object)

to provide with a staff of assistants or workers: She staffed her office with excellent secretaries.

to serve on the staff of.

to send to a staff for study or further work (often followed by out): The White House will staff out the recommendations before making a decision.

verb (used without object)

to hire employees, as for a new office or project (sometimes followed by up): Next month we'll begin staffing up for the reelection campaign.

QUIZZES

THINK YOU’VE GOT A HANDLE ON THIS US STATE NICKNAME QUIZ?

Did you ever collect all those state quarters? Put them to good use on this quiz about curious state monikers and the facts around them.

Question 1 of 8

Mississippi’s nickname comes from the magnificent trees that grow there. What is it?

The Sunflower State

The Evergreen State

The Magnolia State

The Mockingbird State

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of staff

before 900; Middle English staf (noun), Old English stæf; cognate with Dutch staf,German Stab,Old Norse stafr staff, Sanskrit stabh- support

grammar notes for staff

See collective noun.

OTHER WORDS FROM staff

staffless, adjectiveun·staffed, adjectivewell-staffed, adjective

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH staff

staff , staph

Definition for staff (2 of 2)

staff²

[ staf, stahf ]

/ stæf, stɑf /

noun

a composition of plaster and fibrous material used for a temporary finish and in ornamental work, as on exposition buildings.

Origin of staff

1890–95, Americanism; perhaps <German Stoffstuff

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021

Example sentences from the Web for staff

Our layoffs were in April and involved the part-time staff in visitor services.
Plight at the Museum|Jen Trolio|November 20, 2020|Vox
Once these figures are plotted, we can see that, for high-school students and staff, the rates are similar to population case rates.
Schools are not spreading covid-19. This new data explains why.|Emily Oster|November 20, 2020|Washington Post
What should worry us is if we start to see infection rates among staff or students that are higher than in the surrounding community.
Schools are not spreading covid-19. This new data explains why.|Emily Oster|November 20, 2020|Washington Post
Members of the Cardinals’ medical staff worked on Murray’s shoulder while he was on the sideline throughout the game.
Kyler Murray runs out of miracles as Seahawks hang on to take over first place in NFC West|Mark Maske|November 20, 2020|Washington Post

On Thursday, Superintendent Francisco Durán sent a message to families and staff apologizing for the incident.
Virginia chemistry teacher asked students to insert ‘neon . . . neck’ to describe how George Floyd died|Hannah Natanson|November 19, 2020|Washington Post
As a result, training squadrons—called Formal Training Units (FTU)—are being staffed with less than half the people they need.
Exclusive: U.S. Drone Fleet at ‘Breaking Point,’ Air Force Says|Dave Majumdar|January 5, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Sarbast Baiperi and local KDP offiials, in their own defense, say they were ill prepared, under-supplied and under-staffed.
How the U.S.-favored Kurds Abandoned the Yazidis when ISIS Attacked|Christine van den Toorn|August 17, 2014|DAILY BEAST
And, in fact, the embassy has not been fully staffed since the Benghazi attack.
U.S. Diplomats and Marines Close Embassy and Flee Libya Fighting|Jamie Dettmer|July 27, 2014|DAILY BEAST
And near Boise, he adds, that means many fire towers are still staffed by human observers.
Fighting Wildfire With Satellites, Lasers, and Drones|Elizabeth Lopatto|July 9, 2014|DAILY BEAST
It seemed the party, which is mainly staffed by volunteers, was starting to crack under the pressure of the media glare.
Is Britain’s Tea Party Turning Politics Upside Down?|Nico Hines|April 30, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Hence Wheel Five had been built and was staffed by research men who were rotated at regular eight-month intervals.
The Stars, My Brothers|Edmond Hamilton
Three days later, after passing up three farms that unfortunately were staffed with lady dogs, Sue approached a fourth.
The Duck-footed Hound|James Arthur Kjelgaard
The magistrate, moreover, seemed to know the silver-staffed gentleman very well, and greeted him cordially.
Memoirs of Joseph Grimaldi|Joseph Grimaldi
They ran a hospital in Calais staffed by themselves for nurses and with Belgian doctors and orderlies.
The Sword of Deborah|F. Tennyson Jesse
The largest was made up of apartments for individual patients, and staffed by nurses and attendants.
This Crowded Earth|Robert Bloch

British Dictionary definitions for staff (1 of 2)

staff¹

/ (stɑːf) /

noun plural for senses 1,3,4 staffs or plural for senses 5-9 staffs or staves (steɪvz)

a group of people employed by a company, individual, etc, for executive, clerical, sales work, etc

(modifier) attached to or provided for the staff of an establishmenta staff doctor

the body of teachers or lecturers of an educational institution, as distinct from the students

the officers appointed to assist a commander, service, or central headquarters organization in establishing policy, plans, etc

a stick with some special use, such as a walking stick or an emblem of authority

something that sustains or supportsbread is the staff of life

a pole on which a flag is hung

mainly British a graduated rod used in surveying, esp for sighting to with a levelling instrumentUsual US name: rod

Also called: stave music

the system of horizontal lines grouped into sets of five (four in the case of plainsong) upon which music is written. The spaces between them are also used, being employed in conjunction with a clef in order to give a graphic indication of pitch
any set of five lines in this system together with its clefthe treble staff

verb

(tr) to provide with a staff

Word Origin for staff

Old English stæf; related to Old Frisian stef, Old Saxon staf, German Stab, Old Norse stafr, Gothic Stafs; see stave

British Dictionary definitions for staff (2 of 2)

staff²

/ (stɑːf) /

noun

US a mixture of plaster and hair used to cover the external surface of temporary structures and for decoration

Word Origin for staff

C19: of unknown 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

Medical definitions for staff

staff

[ stăf ]

n.

A specific group of workers.

director

v.

To provide with a staff of workers or assistants.

To serve on the staff of.

MEANINGS

WORD GAMES

LEARN

WRITING

WORD OF THE DAY

staff