[1] : The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48

staff \staff\ st.af, n. g. staffiren to fill or fit out,
   adorn, fr. d. stoffeeren, of. estoffer, f. 'etoffer, fr.
   of. estoffe stuff, f. 'etoffe. see stuff, n. arch.
   plaster combined with fibrous and other materials so as to be
   suitable for sculpture in relief or in the round, or for
   forming flat plates or boards of considerable size which can
   be nailed to framework to make the exterior of a larger
   structure, forming joints which may afterward be repaired and
   concealed with fresh plaster.
   webster 1913 suppl.
see also:
stuff 

[2] : The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48

staff \staff\ st.af, n.; pl. staves st=avz or
   staumvz; 277 or staffs st.afs in senses 1-9,
   staffs in senses 10, 11. as. staef a staff; akin to lg. 
   d. staf, ofries. stef, g. stab, icel. stafr, sw. staf, dan.
   stav, goth. stabs element, rudiment, skr. sth=apay to cause
   to stand, to place. see stand, and cf. stab, stave, n.
   1. a long piece of wood; a stick; the long handle of an
      instrument or weapon; a pole or stick, used for many
      purposes; as, a surveyor's staff; the staff of a spear or
      pike.
      1913 webster

            and he put the staves into the rings on the sides of
            the altar to bear it withal.          --ex. xxxviii.
                                                  7.
      1913 webster

            with forks and staves the felon to pursue. --dryden.
      1913 webster

   2. a stick carried in the hand for support or defense by a
      person walking; hence, a support; that which props or
      upholds. "hooked staves." --piers plowman.
      1913 webster

            the boy was the very staff of my age. --shak.
      1913 webster

            he spoke of it beer in "the earnest cry," and
            likewise in the "scotch drink," as one of the staffs
            of life which had been struck from the poor man's
            hand.                                 --prof.
                                                  wilson.
      1913 webster

   3. a pole, stick, or wand borne as an ensign of authority; a
      badge of office; as, a constable's staff.
      1913 webster

            methought this staff, mine office badge in court,
            was broke in twain.                   --shak.
      1913 webster

            all his officers brake their staves; but at their
            return new staves were delivered unto them.
                                                  --hayward.
      1913 webster

   4. a pole upon which a flag is supported and displayed.
      1913 webster

   5. the round of a ladder. r.
      1913 webster

            i ascended at one ladder of six hundred and
            thirty-nine staves.                   --dr. j.
                                                  campbell e.
                                                  brown's
                                                  travels.
      1913 webster

   6. a series of verses so disposed that, when it is concluded,
      the same order begins again; a stanza; a stave.
      1913 webster

            cowley found out that no kind of staff is proper for
            an heroic poem, as being all too lyrical. --dryden.
      1913 webster

   7. mus. the five lines and the spaces on which music is
      written; -- formerly called stave.
      1913 webster

   8. mech. an arbor, as of a wheel or a pinion of a watch.
      1913 webster

   9. surg. the grooved director for the gorget, or knife,
      used in cutting for stone in the bladder.
      1913 webster

   10. from staff, 3, a badge of office. mil. an
       establishment of officers in various departments attached
       to an army, to a section of an army, or to the commander
       of an army. the general's staff consists of those
       officers about his person who are employed in carrying
       his commands into execution. see 'etat major.
       1913 webster

   11. hence: a body of assistants serving to carry into effect
       the plans of a superintendent or manager; sometimes used
       for the entire group of employees of an enterprise,
       excluding the top management; as, the staff of a
       newspaper.
       1913 webster +pjc

   jacob's staff surv., a single straight rod or staff,
      pointed and iron-shod at the bottom, for penetrating the
      ground, and having a socket joint at the top, used,
      instead of a tripod, for supporting a compass.

   staff angle arch., a square rod of wood standing flush
      with the wall on each of its sides, at the external angles
      of plastering, to prevent their being damaged.

   the staff of life, bread. "bread is the staff of life."
      --swift.

   staff tree bot., any plant of the genus celastrus,
      mostly climbing shrubs of the northern hemisphere. the
      american species celastrus scandens is commonly called
      bittersweet. see 2d bittersweet, 3
       b .

   to set up one's staff, to put up one's staff, to set
   down one's staff or to put down one's staff, to take up
      one's residence; to lodge. obs.
      1913 webster
see also:
staves staffs stand stab stave stave 
staff 'etat major jacob's staff staff angle the staff of life 
staff tree celastrus celastrus scandens bittersweet bittersweet 
to set up one's staff to put up one's staff to set down one's staff to put down one's staff 

[3] : WordNet (r) 2.0

staff
     n 1: personnel who assist their superior in carrying out an
          assigned task; "the hospital has an excellent nursing
          staff"; "the general relied on his staff to make routine
          decisions"
     2: the body of teachers and administrators at a school; "the
        dean addressed the letter to the entire staff of the
        university" syn: faculty
     3: a strong rod or stick with a specialized utilitarian
        purpose; "he walked with the help of a wooden staff"
     4: building material consisting of plaster and hair; used to
        cover external surfaces of temporary structure as at an
        exposition or for decoration
     5: a rod carried as a symbol
     6: music the system of five horizontal lines on which the
        musical notes are written syn: stave
     v 1: provide with staff; "this position is not always staffed"
     2: serve on the staff of; "the two men staff the reception
        desk"
see also:
faculty stave 

[4] : Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0

236 moby thesaurus words for "staff":
   british cabinet, malacca cane, sanhedrin, us cabinet, accouter,
   advisory body, advocate, alpenstock, appoint, arm, armory,
   assembly, association, athletic supporter, back, backbone, backing,
   badge, badge of office, badges, baluster, balustrade, bandeau,
   banister, bar, bar line, base, baton, bearer, bench, blazonry,
   board, body of advisers, borough council, bra, brace, bracer,
   bracket, brain trust, brassard, brassiere, button, buttress,
   cabinet, caduceus, camarilla, cane, cap and gown, carrier,
   caryatid, cervix, chain, chain of office, chamber, city council,
   class ring, club, cockade, collar, colonnade, column,
   common council, conference, congress, consultative assembly,
   corset, council, council fire, council of ministers,
   council of state, council of war, county council, court, crew,
   crook, crosier, cross, cross-staff, crozier, crutch, crutch-stick,
   dado, decoration, degree, deliberative assembly, die, diet,
   directory, divan, dress, eagle, emblems, employees, ensigns, equip,
   fasces, figurehead, fit, fit out, fit up, fleur-de-lis, footstalk,
   force, foundation garment, fulcrum, furnish, gang, gavel, gear,
   girdle, guy, guywire, hammer and sickle, handstaff, heel, help,
   heraldry, hired help, insignia, jack, jock, jockstrap, junta,
   kitchen cabinet, lapel pin, ledger line, legislature, line, lituus,
   livery, mace, mainstay, maintainer, man, mantle, markings, mast,
   medal, men, mortarboard, munition, neck, newel-post,
   old school tie, organization, outfit, parish council,
   pastoral staff, paterissa, peduncle, personnel, pier, pike,
   pilaster, pile, piling, pillar, pin, plinth, pole, portfolio, post,
   prepare, privy council, prop, quarterstaff, queen-post, regalia,
   reinforce, reinforcement, reinforcer, rest, resting place, retinue,
   rig, rig out, rig up, rigging, ring, rod, rod of office, rose,
   scepter, school ring, servantry, shaft, shamrock, shillelagh,
   shoulder, shroud, sigillography, skull and crossbones, socle,
   soviet, space, sphragistics, spine, sprit, stake, stalk, stanchion,
   stand, standard, standing rigging, stave, stay, stem, stick,
   stiffener, strengthener, subbase, support, supporter, surbase,
   sustainer, swagger stick, swanking stick, swastika, syndicate,
   synod, tartan, team, the help, thistle, tie, tribunal, truncheon,
   trunk, turn out, uniform, upholder, upright, verge, walking stick,
   wand, wand of office

Staff >> S Words
Staff, definition of term: Staff
staff_pag1.html

Staff Member >> S Words
Staff Member, definition of term: Staff Member
staff+member_pag1.html

Staff Of Life >> S Words
Staff Of Life, definition of term: Staff Of Life
staff+of+life_pag1.html