6. To render impervious or solid by driving with a calking iron; as, to
stave lead, or the joints of pipes into which lead has been run.
To stave and tail, in bear baiting, (to stave) to interpose with the
staff, doubtless to stop the bear; (to tail) to hold back the dog by
the tail. Nares.
Stave, v. i. To burst in pieces by striking against something; to dash
into fragments.
Like a vessel of glass she stove and sank.
Longfellow.
Staves (?), n.; pl. of Staff. "Banners, scarves and staves." R.
Browning. Also (stvz), pl. of Stave.
Staves"a`cre (?), n. [Corrupted from NL. staphis agria, Gr. &?; dried
grape + &?; wild.] (Bot.) A kind of larkspur (Delphinium Staphysagria),
and its seeds, which are violently purgative and emetic. They are used
as a parasiticide, and in the East for poisoning fish.
Stave`wood` (?), n. (Bot.) A tall tree (Simaruba amara) growing in
tropical America. It is one of the trees which yields quassia.
Stav"ing (?), n. A cassing or lining of staves; especially, one
encircling a water wheel.
Staw (?), v. i. [Cf. Dan. staae to stand, Sw. stå. √163.] To be
fixed or set; to stay. [Prov. Eng.]
Stay (?), n. [AS. stæg, akin to D., G., Icel., Sw., & Dan. stag; cf.
OF. estai, F. étai, of Teutonic origin.] (Naut.) A large, strong rope,
employed to support a mast, by being extended from the head of one mast
down to some other, or to some part of the vessel. Those which lead
forward are called fore-and-aft stays; those which lead to the vessel's
side are called backstays. See Illust. of Ship.
In stays, or Hove in stays (Naut.), in the act or situation of staying,
or going about from one tack to another. R. H. Dana, Jr. -- Stay holes
(Naut.), openings in the edge of a staysail through which the hanks
pass which join it to the stay. -- Stay tackle (Naut.), a tackle
attached to a stay and used for hoisting or lowering heavy articles
over the side. -- To miss stays (Naut.), to fail in the attempt to go
about. Totten. -- Triatic stay (Naut.), a rope secured at the ends to
the heads of the foremast and mainmast with thimbles spliced to its
bight into which the stay tackles hook.
Stay (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Stayed (?) or Staid (&?;); p. pr. & vb.
n. Staying.] [OF. estayer, F. étayer to prop, fr. OF. estai, F. étai, a
prop, probably fr. OD. stade, staeye, a prop, akin to E. stead; or cf.
stay a rope to support a mast. Cf. Staid, a., Stay, v. i.] 1. To stop
from motion or falling; to prop; to fix firmly; to hold up; to support.
Aaron and Hur stayed up his hands, the one on the one side, and the
other on the other side.
Ex. xvii. 12.
Sallows and reeds . . . for vineyards useful found To stay thy
vines.
Dryden.
2. To support from sinking; to sustain with strength; to satisfy in
part or for the time.
He has devoured a whole loaf of bread and butter, and it has not
staid his stomach for a minute.
Sir W. Scott.