staff
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staff
a pole or stick; personnel: The entire staff will attend the conference.
Not to be confused with:
staph – staphylococcus, a parasitic bacteria: a staph infection
Abused, Confused, & Misused Words by Mary Embree Copyright © 2007, 2013 by Mary Embree
staff 1
(stăf)n. pl. staffs or staves (stāvz)
1.
a. A stick or cane carried as an aid in walking or climbing.
b. A stout stick used as a weapon; a cudgel.
c. A pole on which a flag is displayed; a flagstaff.
d. A rod or baton carried as a symbol of authority.
2. pl. staffs A rule or similar graduated stick used for testing or measuring, as in surveying.
3. pl. staffs
a. A group of assistants to a manager, executive, or other person in authority.
b. A group of military officers assigned to assist a commanding officer in an executive or advisory capacity.
c. The personnel who carry out a specific enterprise: the nursing staff of a hospital.
4. Something that serves as a staple or support.
5. Music A set of horizontal lines and intermediate spaces used in notation to represent a sequence of pitches, in modern notation normally consisting of five lines and four spaces. Also called stave.
tr.v. staffed, staff·ing, staffs
1. To provide with a staff of workers or assistants.
2. To serve on the staff of (an organization).
[Middle English staf, from Old English stæf.]
staff 2
(stăf)n.
A building material of plaster and fiber used as an exterior wall covering of temporary buildings, as at expositions.
[Perhaps from German Stoff, stuff.]
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
staff
(stɑːf)n, pl staffs, pl staffs or staves (steɪvz)
1. (Professions) a group of people employed by a company, individual, etc, for executive, clerical, sales work, etc
2. (Industrial Relations & HR Terms) (modifier) attached to or provided for the staff of an establishment: a staff doctor.
3. (Education) the body of teachers or lecturers of an educational institution, as distinct from the students
4. (Military) 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
6. something that sustains or supports: bread is the staff of life.
7. (Heraldry) a pole on which a flag is hung
8. (Surveying) chiefly Brit a graduated rod used in surveying, esp for sighting to with a levelling instrument. Usual US name: rod
9. (Music, other) 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.
vb
(tr) to provide with a staff
[Old English stæf; related to Old Frisian stef, Old Saxon staf, German Stab, Old Norse stafr, Gothic Stafs; see stave]
staff
(stɑːf)n
(Building) US a mixture of plaster and hair used to cover the external surface of temporary structures and for decoration
[C19: of unknown origin]
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
staff1
(stæf, stɑf)n., pl. staffs for 1-4,8; staves (stāvz) or staffs for 5-7,9,10; n.
1. a group of people, esp. employees, who carry out the work of an establishment or perform a specific function.
2. a group of assistants to a manager, superintendent, or executive.
3.
a. a body of military officers appointed to assist a commanding officer.
b. the parts of an army concerned with administration rather than combat.
4. a stick, pole, or rod for aid in walking or climbing, for use as a weapon, etc.
5. a rod serving as a symbol of office or authority.
6. a pole on which a flag is hung or displayed.
7. something that supports or sustains.
8. Also, stave. a set of usu. five horizontal lines, with the corresponding four spaces between them, on which music is written.
9. Archaic. the shaft of a spear, lance, etc.
adj. 10. of or pertaining to a military or organizational staff.
11. employed on the staff of a corporation, publication, institution, etc.: a staff writer.
v.t. 12. to provide with a staff of assistants or workers.
13. to serve on the staff of.
14. to send to a staff for study or further work (often fol. by out).
[before 900; Old English stæf, c. Old Frisian stef, Old Saxon staf, Old High German stap, Old Norse stafr staff]
usage: See collective noun.
staff2
(stæf, stɑf)n.
a composition of plaster and fibrous material used for a temporary finish and in ornamental work, as on exposition buildings.
[1890–95, Amer.; perhaps < German Stoff stuff]
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
staff
- baguette - Means "little rod" and is derived from Latin baculum, "staff, stick."
- dough - As in money, it almost certainly came from bread (another slang term for it), because bread is the staff of life.
- staff - From Germanic stabaz, "stick"; its sense as "employees" is probably an allusion to the carrying of a staff of office by a person in charge.
- miter, mitre, crosier - The tall, pointy hat of a bishop or abbot is the miter/mitre—from Greek mitra, "headdress"; a crosier is a bishop's staff.
Farlex Trivia Dictionary. © 2012 Farlex, Inc. All rights reserved.
staff
See: multinational staff; general staff; integrated staff; joint staff; parallel staff; special staff.
Dictionary of Military and Associated Terms. US Department of Defense 2005.
Staff
Examples: staff of cocks (two), 1688; of hawks (three), 1688; of nurses; of officers; of servants—Brewer; of teasels, 1794.Dictionary of Collective Nouns and Group Terms. Copyright 2008 The Gale Group, Inc. All rights reserved.
staff
The people who work for an organization can be referred to as its staff.
She was invited to join the staff of the BBC.
The police questioned all the hospital staff.
In British English, you can use a plural or singular form of a verb after staff. The plural form is more common.
The staff are very helpful.
The teaching staff is well-qualified and experienced.
In American English, staff is usually followed by a singular form.
The hotel staff was friendly.
Our staff gets bigger every year.
Be Careful!
Don't refer to an individual person who works for an organization as 'a staff'. Refer to him or her as a member of staff.
There are ten students to every member of staff.
All members of staff are expected to attend meetings.
Collins COBUILD English Usage © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 2004, 2011, 2012
staff
Past participle: staffed
Gerund: staffing
| Imperative |
|---|
| staff |
| staff |
Collins English Verb Tables © HarperCollins Publishers 2011
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Switch to new thesaurus
| Noun | 1. |  staff - 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"newsroom - the staff of a newspaper or the news department of a periodical; "every newspaper editor is criticized by the newsroom" personnel, force - group of people willing to obey orders; "a public force is necessary to give security to the rights of citizens" office staff, office - professional or clerical workers in an office; "the whole office was late the morning of the blizzard" research staff - a group of associated research workers in a university or library or laboratory sales staff - those in a business who are responsible for sales security staff - those in an organization responsible for preventing spying or theft maintenance staff, service staff - those in a business responsible for maintaining the physical plant general staff - military officers assigned to assist a senior officer in planning military policy headquarters staff - military staff stationed at headquarters staff member, staffer - an employee who is a member of a staff of workers (especially a member of the staff that works for the President of the United States) |
| 2. | staff - a strong rod or stick with a specialized utilitarian purpose; "he walked with the help of a wooden staff" alpenstock - a stout staff with a metal point; used by mountain climbers baton - a short staff carried by some officials to symbolize an office or an authority shepherd's crook, crook - a long staff with one end being hook shaped crutch - a wooden or metal staff that fits under the armpit and reaches to the ground; used by disabled person while walking distaff - the staff on which wool or flax is wound before spinning pikestaff - the staff of a pike quarterstaff - a long stout staff used as a weapon stick - an implement consisting of a length of wood; "he collected dry sticks for a campfire"; "the kid had a candied apple on a stick" | |
| 3. |  staff - the body of teachers and administrators at a school; "the dean addressed the letter to the entire staff of the university"body - a group of persons associated by some common tie or occupation and regarded as an entity; "the whole body filed out of the auditorium"; "the student body"; "administrative body" school - an educational institution; "the school was founded in 1900" | |
| 4. | staff - building material consisting of plaster and hair; used to cover external surfaces of temporary structure (as at an exposition) or for decoration building material - material used for constructing buildings | |
| 5. | staff - a rod carried as a symbol symbol - an arbitrary sign (written or printed) that has acquired a conventional significance crosier, crozier - a staff surmounted by a crook or cross carried by bishops as a symbol of pastoral office mace - a ceremonial staff carried as a symbol of office or authority tipstaff - staff with a metal tip carried as a sign of office by e.g. a bailiff or constable | |
| 6. | staff - (music) the system of five horizontal lines on which the musical notes are written musical notation - (music) notation used by musicians staff line - any of the 5 horizontal marks comprising a staff space - one of the areas between or below or above the lines of a musical staff; "the spaces are the notes F-A-C-E" music - an artistic form of auditory communication incorporating instrumental or vocal tones in a structured and continuous manner | |
| Verb | 1. | staff - provide with staff; "This position is not always staffed" man - provide with workers; "We cannot man all the desks"; "Students were manning the booths" |
| 2. | staff - serve on the staff of; "The two men staff the reception desk" serve - do duty or hold offices; serve in a specific function; "He served as head of the department for three years"; "She served in Congress for two terms" |
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
staff
noun
Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002
staff
nounA fairly long straight piece of solid material used especially as a support in walking:
The American Heritage® Roget's Thesaurus. Copyright © 2013, 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Translations
عَصَامَجْمُوعَةُ الـعَامِلِيـنهَيئَه، طاقَميُزَوِّد بالمُوَظَّفين
personálhůlnotová osnovaobsaditosnova
bemandenodearknodelinierpersonalestab
henkilökuntasauvamiehittäänuottiviivastosalko
osoblještap
mannanótnastrengurstarfsliî
棒職員
지팡이직원
darbiniekinodrošināt personālu/štatunošu līnijaspersonālsštats
notová osnovapersonál
osebje
personalstav
ไม้ค้ำ เสาค้ำ ไม้เท้าพนักงาน
cộtnhân viên
staff
1 [stɑːf]A. N
B. VT → proveer de personal
to be well staffed (fully staffed) → tener la plantilla completa; (with good workers) → tener un buen personal
the centre is staffed by qualified lawyers → el centro cuenta con abogados titulados en plantilla
to be well staffed (fully staffed) → tener la plantilla completa; (with good workers) → tener un buen personal
the centre is staffed by qualified lawyers → el centro cuenta con abogados titulados en plantilla
C. CPD staff association N → asociación f del personal
staff canteen N → comedor m de personal
staff college N → escuela f militar superior
staff meeting N → reunión f de personal
staff nurse N → enfermero/a m/f titulado/a
staff officer N → oficial m del Estado Mayor
staff room N → sala f de profesores
staff-student ratio N → proporción f alumnos-profesor
staff training N → formación f de personal
staff canteen N → comedor m de personal
staff college N → escuela f militar superior
staff meeting N → reunión f de personal
staff nurse N → enfermero/a m/f titulado/a
staff officer N → oficial m del Estado Mayor
staff room N → sala f de profesores
staff-student ratio N → proporción f alumnos-profesor
staff training N → formación f de personal
staff
2 [stɑːf] N (staves, staff (pl)) (Mus) → pentagrama mCollins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005
staff
[ˈstɑːf] n
(British) (SCHOOL) (= teachers) the staff → les professeurs mpl, les enseignants mpl, le personnel m enseignant
a member of staff → un membre du personnel enseignant
a member of staff → un membre du personnel enseignant
(= servants) their staff → leurs domestiques mpl
(MILITARY) → état-major m
(= stick) → bâton m
vt [+ shop, hospital, school, factory] → pourvoir en personnel
The centre is staffed at all times
BUT Il y a toujours quelqu'un qui travaille dans le centre.
The shop is staffed by volonteers
BUT Le magasin est tenu par des bénévoles.
to staff sth with sth
They staff the clinics with nurses → Ils ont pourvu les cliniques en infirmières.staff discount n → remise f pour le personnelstaff meeting n [teachers] → conseil m des professeursstaff nurse n → infirmier/ière m/fstaff officer n → officier m d'état-major
The centre is staffed at all times
BUT Il y a toujours quelqu'un qui travaille dans le centre.
The shop is staffed by volonteers
BUT Le magasin est tenu par des bénévoles.
to staff sth with sth
They staff the clinics with nurses → Ils ont pourvu les cliniques en infirmières.staff discount n → remise f pour le personnelstaff meeting n [teachers] → conseil m des professeursstaff nurse n → infirmier/ière m/fstaff officer n → officier m d'état-major
Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005
staff
n
(= personnel) → Personal nt; (Sch, Univ) → Kollegium nt, → Lehrkörper m (form); (of one department, on one project) → Mitarbeiterstab m; all the staff support this idea → die ganze Belegschaft or (Sch, Univ) → das ganze Kollegium unterstützt diesen Vorschlag; we have a large staff → wir haben viel Personal/ein großes Kollegium/einen großen Mitarbeiterstab; we don’t have enough staff to complete the project → wir haben nicht genügend Mitarbeiter, um das Projekt zu beenden; editorial staff → Redaktion f, → Redaktionsstab m; administrative staff → Verwaltungsstab m, → Verwaltungspersonal nt; a member of staff → ein Mitarbeiter m, → eine Mitarbeiterin; (Sch) → ein Kollege m, → eine Kollegin; my fellow members of staff → meine Kollegen; we have 30 women on the staff → bei uns sind 30 Frauen angestellt; to be on the staff → zum Personal/Kollegium/Mitarbeiterstab gehören; are you staff? (inf) → arbeiten Sie hier?; he joined the or our staff in 1996 → er arbeitet seit 1996 bei uns; he has left our staff → er arbeitet nicht mehr hier
pl <-s or (old) staves> (= stick, symbol of authority) → Stab m; (= flagstaff) → Stock m; (fig liter: = support) → Stütze f; staff of office → Amtsstab m; the staff of life → das wichtigste Nahrungsmittel
(Mil: = general staff) → Stab m
pl <staves> (Mus) → Notenlinien pl, → Notensystem nt
vt department → Mitarbeiter finden für; hospital, shop, hotel → mit Personal besetzen, Personal finden für; school → mit Lehrpersonal besetzen; the kitchens are staffed by foreigners → das Küchenpersonal besteht aus Ausländern
staff
:staff association
n → ˜ Betriebsrat m
staff canteen
n → (Betriebs)kantine f
staff college
n → Generalstabsakademie f
staff
:staff notation
n → Notenschrift f
staff nurse
n (Brit) → (voll)ausgebildete Krankenschwester, Vollschwester f (inf)
staff officer
n → Stabsoffizier(in) m(f)
staff problem
n → Personalproblem nt
staffroom
n → Lehrerzimmer nt
staff training
Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007
staff
[stɑːf]1. n
a. (personnel, gen) → personale m; (servants) → personale di servizio (Mil) → Stato Maggiore
the administrative staff → il personale amministrativo
the teaching staff → il corpo insegnante
to be on the staff → far parte del personale or dell'organico
a staff of 15 → un personale or organico di 15 persone
to join the staff → entrare a far parte del personale
"staff only" → "passaggio di servizio"
the administrative staff → il personale amministrativo
the teaching staff → il corpo insegnante
to be on the staff → far parte del personale or dell'organico
a staff of 15 → un personale or organico di 15 persone
to join the staff → entrare a far parte del personale
"staff only" → "passaggio di servizio"
c. (Mus) (also stave) → pentagramma m, rigo
Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995
staff1
(staːf) noun or noun plural a group of people employed in running a business, school etc. The school has a large teaching staff; The staff are annoyed about the changes.
verb to supply with staff. Most of our offices are staffed by volunteers.
ˈstaffroom noun a sitting-room for the staff of eg a school. A meeting will be held in the staffroom.
staff2
(staːf) stave (steiv) – plural staves – noun a set of lines and spaces on which music is written or printed.
Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.
staff
→ عَصَا, مَجْمُوعَةُ الـعَامِلِيـن hůl, personál personale, stav Personal προσωπικό bastón, personal, plantilla henkilökunta, sauva bâton, personnel osoblje, štap bastone, personale 棒, 職員 지팡이, 직원 personeel, stok stab, stang pałka, personel bastão, quadro de funcionários палка, персонал personal, stav ไม้ค้ำ เสาค้ำ ไม้เท้า, พนักงาน personel, sopa cột, nhân viên 工作人员, 杆Multilingual Translator © HarperCollins Publishers 2009
staff
n. personal de una institución.
English-Spanish Medical Dictionary © Farlex 2012
staff
n personal m; hospital — personal del hospitalEnglish-Spanish/Spanish-English Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2006 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.