staff : Idioms & Phrases

• an ancient instrument, having an arc of fifteen degrees, formerly used at sea to take observations of the sun's amplitude at the time of its rising or setting, to find the variation of the compass.

Webster 1913

• the official staff or baton of a cantor or precentor, with which time is marked for the singers.

Webster 1913

• noun the senior officer of a service of the armed forces
  

WordNet

Cross"-staff` noun

Definitions

1. An instrument formerly used at sea for taking the altitudes of celestial bodies.
2. A surveyor's instrument for measuring offsets.

Webster 1913

• > (Mil.), a staff formerly used by gunners to hold a lighted match for discharging a gun.

Webster 1913

• noun military officers assigned to assist a senior officer in planning military policy
  

WordNet

• noun a position some distance below the top of a mast to which a flag is lowered in mourning or to signal distress
  half-mast.
  

WordNet

• (pl. Hand staves), a javelin. Ezek. xxxix. 9.

Webster 1913

• noun military staff stationed at headquarters
  

WordNet

• (Naut.), a staff fixed on the bowsprit cap, upon which the jack is hoisted.

Webster 1913

• noun desert shrub of southwestern United States and Mexico having slender naked spiny branches that after the rainy season put forth foliage and clusters of red flowers
  vine cactus; Fouquieria splendens; coachwhip; ocotillo.
  

WordNet

• (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.

Webster 1913

• noun the executive agency that advises the President on military questions; composed of the chiefs of the United States Army and the United States Navy and the United States Air Force and the commandant of the United States Marine Corps
  Joint Chiefs.
  

WordNet

• (Bot.), the common mullein; so called from its long, rigid spike of yellow blossoms.

Webster 1913

• a graduated rod or staff used in connection with a leveling instrument for measuring differences of level between points.

Webster 1913

• noun those in a business responsible for maintaining the physical plant
  maintenance staff.
  

WordNet

• . (Leveling) Same as Leveling staff.

Webster 1913

• noun professional or clerical workers in an office
  office.
  
  • the whole office was late the morning of the blizzard

WordNet

• (Surv.), a rod, usually ten links long, used in measuring offsets.

Webster 1913

• . (a) A staff tipped with a broad blade, used by mole catchers. Prov. Eng. (b) A long-handled spade used to clean a plowshare; called also plow staff. Prov. Eng.

Webster 1913

• (Eccl.), a staff, usually of the form of a shepherd's crook, borne as an official emblem by a bishop, abbot, abbess, or other prelate privileged to carry it. See Crook, and Crosier.

Webster 1913

• . (a) A kind of long-handled spade or paddle for cleaning the plowshare; a paddle staff . (b) A plow handle.

Webster 1913

• a straight-edge used by millers to test the flatness of a stone.

Webster 1913

• noun a group of associated research workers in a university or library or laboratory
  

WordNet

Rock" staff`

Etymology

Cf. Rock, v. i.

Definitions

1. An oscillating bar in a machine, as the lever of the bellows of a forge.

Webster 1913

• . See Clog almanac, under Clog.

Webster 1913

• noun those in a business who are responsible for sales
  

WordNet

• noun those in an organization responsible for preventing spying or theft
  

WordNet

• noun those in a business responsible for maintaining the physical plant
  maintenance staff.
  

WordNet

• (Bot.), the small teasel.

Webster 1913

• adjective satellite inadequate in number of workers or assistants etc.
  understaffed; undermanned; short-handed.
  
  • they're rather short-handed at the moment
  • overcrowded and understaffed hospitals

WordNet

• (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.

Webster 1913

• noun any of the 5 horizontal marks comprising a staff
  

WordNet

• noun 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)
  staffer.
  

WordNet

• noun food made from dough of flour or meal and usually raised with yeast or baking powder and then baked
  breadstuff; bread.
  

WordNet

• noun the department responsible for hiring and training and placing employees and for setting policies for personnel management
  personnel department; personnel office; personnel.
  

WordNet

• noun a commissioned officer assigned to a military commander's staff
  

WordNet

• noun a noncommissioned officer ranking above corporal and below sergeant first class in the Army or Marines or above airman 1st class in the Air Force
  

WordNet

• noun any small tree or twining shrub of the genus Celastrus
  

WordNet

• (Bot.), any plant of the genus Celastrus, mostly climbing shrubs of the northern hemisphere. The American species (C. scandens) is commonly called bittersweet. See 2d Bittersweet, 3 (b).

Webster 1913

• noun twining shrub of North America having yellow capsules enclosing scarlet seeds
  bittersweet; climbing bittersweet; waxwork; shrubby bittersweet; false bittersweet; Celastrus scandens; American bittersweet.
  

WordNet

• noun trees and shrubs and woody vines usually having bright-colored fruits
  Celastraceae; spindle-tree family; family Celastraceae.
  

WordNet

• (Surv.), an instrument for taking angles in surveying. Craig.

Webster 1913

• bread. "Bread is the staff of life." Swift.

Webster 1913

• to raise it only half way to the mast or staff, as a token or sign of mourning.

Webster 1913

• to take up one's residence; to lodge. Obs.

Webster 1913

• noun a clef that puts the G above middle C on the second line of a staff
  treble clef; G clef.
  

WordNet

• . (Surv.) Same as Target, 3.

Webster 1913

• a constable's or watchman's staff. Obs.

Webster 1913

• the badge of the lord high treasurer of England. Macaulay.

Webster 1913