Staff1. (n.) 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.
2. (n.) A stick carried in the hand for support or defense by a person walking; hence, a support; that which props or upholds.
3. (n.) A pole, stick, or wand borne as an ensign of authority; a badge of office; as, a constable's staff.
4. (n.) A pole upon which a flag is supported and displayed.
5. (n.) The round of a ladder.
6. (n.) A series of verses so disposed that, when it is concluded, the same order begins again; a stanza; a stave.
7. (n.) The five lines and the spaces on which music is written; -- formerly called stave.
8. (n.) An arbor, as of a wheel or a pinion of a watch.
9. (n.) The grooved director for the gorget, or knife, used in cutting for stone in the bladder.
10. (n.) 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.
11. (n.) Hence: A body of assistants serving to carry into effect the plans of a superintendent or manager; as, the staff of a newspaper.
Thesaurus Entries
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