Definition of 'staff'
Word forms: plural, 3rd person singular present tense staffs
, present participle staffing
, past tense, past participle staffed
1. countable noun [with singular or plural verb]
The staff of an organization are the people who work for it.
2. See also Chief of Staff
4. verb [usually passive]
If an organization is staffed by particular people, they are the people who work for it.
5. See also short-staffed
6. countable noun
A staff is a strong stick or pole.
7.
A staff is the five lines that music is written on.
[US]regional note: in BRIT, use staveCollins COBUILD Advanced Learner’s Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
British English pronunciation
American English pronunciation
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Word Frequency
staff in British English 1
nounWord forms: plural for senses 1,3,4 staffs, plural for senses 5–9 staffs or staves (steɪvz
)
1.
3.
4.
the officers appointed to assist a commander, service, or central headquarters organization in establishing policy, plans, etc
5.
a stick with some special use, such as a walking stick or an emblem of authority
8. mainly British
Usual US name: rod
9. Also called: stave music
a.
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
b.
any set of five lines in this system together with its clef
the treble staff
verb
10. (transitive)
to provide with a staff
Collins English Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
Word origin
Old English stæf; related to Old Frisian stef, Old Saxon staf, German Stab, Old Norse stafr, Gothic Stafs; see staveWord Frequency
staff in British English 2
noun
US
a mixture of plaster and hair used to cover the external surface of temporary structures and for decoration
Collins English Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
Word origin
C19: of unknown origin
Word Frequency
staff in American English 1
nounWord forms: plural staffs or staves
1.
a stick, rod, or pole
; specif.,a.
a stick used as a support in walking
b.
a pole or club used as a weapon
c.
a pole for supporting a banner or flag
f.
any of several graduated sticks or rules used for measuring, as in surveying
2.
a group of people assisting a chief, manager, president, or other leader
3.
a group of officers serving a military or naval commanding officer in an advisory and administrative capacity without combat duties or command
4.
a specific group of workers or employees
a teaching staff, newspaper staff, maintenance staff
5. Music
the horizontal lines on and between which notes are written or printed: the placement of a note on the staff indicates its pitch
adjective
verb transitive
7.
to provide with a staff, as of workers
Webster’s New World College Dictionary, 4th Edition. Copyright © 2010 by
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. All rights reserved.
Word Frequency
staff in American English 2
US
noun
a building material of plaster and fiber, used for temporary decorative work
Webster’s New World College Dictionary, 4th Edition. Copyright © 2010 by
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. All rights reserved.
Word Frequency
staff in American Englishfor 1–5, 9for 6–8, 10, 11 1
(stæf, stɑːf) (noun & plural staffs, staves (steivz) or staffs)
noun
1.
a group of persons, as employees, charged with carrying out the work of an establishment
or executing some undertaking
2.
a group of assistants to a manager, superintendent, or executive
3.
a member of a staff
4. Military
a.
a body of officers without command authority, appointed to assist a commanding officer
b.
the parts of any army concerned with administrative matters, planning, etc., rather
than with actual participation in combat
5.
those members of an organization serving only in an auxiliary or advisory capacity on a given project
Compare line1 (sense 38) 6.
a stick, pole, or rod for aid in walking or climbing, for use as a weapon, etc
7.
8.
a pole on which a flag is hung or displayed
9.
something that supports or sustains
10. Also: stave Music
a set of horizontal lines, now five in number, with the corresponding four spaces
between them, on which music is written
adjective
12.
of or pertaining to a military or organizational staff
a staff officer
staff meetings
13. (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
transitive verb
14.
to provide with a staff of assistants or workers
She staffed her office with excellent secretaries
15.
to serve on the staff of
16. (often fol. by out)
to send to a staff for study or further work
The White House will staff out the recommendations before making a decision
intransitive verb
USAGE See collective noun.17. (sometimes fol. by up)
to hire employees, as for a new office or project
Next month we'll begin staffing up for the reelection campaign
Most material © 2005, 1997, 1991 by Penguin Random House LLC. Modified entries © 2019
by Penguin Random House LLC and HarperCollins Publishers Ltd
Derived forms
staffless adjective
Word origin
[bef. 900; ME staf (n.), OE stæf; c. D staf, G Stab, ON stafr staff, Skt stabh- support]Word Frequency
staff in American English 2
(stæf, stɑːf)
noun
a composition of plaster and fibrous material used for a temporary finish and in ornamental work, as on exposition buildings
Most material © 2005, 1997, 1991 by Penguin Random House LLC. Modified entries © 2019
by Penguin Random House LLC and HarperCollins Publishers Ltd
Word origin
[1890–95, Amer.; perh. ‹ G Stoff stuff]Examples of 'staff' in a sentence
staff
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In other languages
staff
British English: staff
/stɑːf/ NOUN
personnel The staff of an organization are the people who work for it.
The staff were very good.
- American English: staff /ˈstæf/ workers
- Arabic: مَجْمُوعَةُ الـعَامِلِيـن
- Brazilian Portuguese: quadro de funcionários
- Chinese: 工作人员
- Croatian: osoblje
- Czech: personál
- Danish: personale
- Dutch: personeel
- European Spanish: plantilla
- Finnish: sauva
- French: personnel
- German: Personal
- Greek: προσωπικό
- Italian: bastone
- Japanese: 職員 workers
- Korean: 직원
- Norwegian: stang
- Polish: personel
- European Portuguese: quadro de funcionários
- Romanian: staff
- Russian: персонал
- Latin American Spanish: bastón
- Swedish: stav
- Thai: พนักงาน
- Turkish: personel asa
- Ukrainian: персонал
- Vietnamese: cột cọc
- American English: staff /ˈstæf/ stick or rod
- Arabic: عَصَا
- Brazilian Portuguese: bastão
- Chinese: 杆
- Croatian: štap
- Czech: hůl
- Danish: stav
- Dutch: stok
- European Spanish: bastón
- Finnish: henkilökunta
- French: bâton travailleurs
- German: Personal
- Greek: προσωπικό
- Italian: personale dipendenti
- Japanese: 棒 stick or rod
- Korean: 지팡이
- Norwegian: stab
- Polish: pałka
- European Portuguese: bastão
- Romanian: baston
- Russian: палка
- Latin American Spanish: personal empleados
- Swedish: personal
- Thai: ไม้เท้า
- Turkish: sopa
- Ukrainian: палиця
- Vietnamese: nhân viên
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staff
Related terms of
staff
Source
Definition of staff from the Collins English Dictionary
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