stave

英 [steɪv] 美[stev]

低频词基本词汇

stave 棍，棒，柱，桩

回构自 staves,棍，棒，来自 staff 的复数形式。比较 knife,knives.

stave (n.): "piece of a barrel," 1750, back-formation from staves (late 14c.), plural of staff, with the usual change of medial -f- to -v- (compare leaves/leaf). The plural form possibly was in Old English but not recorded there.
stave (v.): 1540s, "to fit with staves," from stave (n.). The meaning "break into staves" is from 1590s (with in from 1748, chiefly nautical, on notion of bashing in the staves of a cask). Past tense stove. Stave off (1620s), however, is literally "keep off with a staff," as of one beset by wolves or dogs. Related: Staved; staving.

2. Many people switch on the television simply to stave off boredom over the Christmas break.: 很多人打开电视仅仅是为了打发圣诞节休息期间的无聊时光而已。

3. In a desperate attempt to stave off defeat, he reluctantly promised wholesale reform of the constitution.: 为了竭力避免败局，他勉强答应要对宪法进行大规模修改。

4. But the reality of discovery was a different matter, and he did all he could to stave it off.: 但所发现的实际情况完全是另一回事，所以他只好尽自己所能暂缓其发生。