STAFF

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does staff mean? 

• STAFF (noun)
  The noun STAFF has 6 senses:

1. personnel who assist their superior in carrying out an assigned task

2. a strong rod or stick with a specialized utilitarian purpose

3. the body of teachers and administrators at a school

4. building material consisting of plaster and hair; used to cover external surfaces of temporary structure (as at an exposition) or for decoration

5. a rod carried as a symbol

6. (music) the system of five horizontal lines on which the musical notes are written

  Familiarity information: STAFF used as a noun is common.

• STAFF (verb)
  The verb STAFF has 2 senses:

1. provide with staff

2. serve on the staff of

  Familiarity information: STAFF used as a verb is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• STAFF (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Personnel who assist their superior in carrying out an assigned task

Classified under:

Nouns denoting groupings of people or objects

Context example:

the general relied on his staff to make routine decisions

Hypernyms ("staff" is a kind of...):

force; personnel (group of people willing to obey orders)

Meronyms (members of "staff"):

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))

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "staff"):

newsroom (the staff of a newspaper or the news department of a periodical)

office; office staff (professional or clerical workers in an office)

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)

Derivation:

staff (provide with staff)

staff (serve on the staff of)

Sense 2

Meaning:

A strong rod or stick with a specialized utilitarian purpose

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Context example:

he walked with the help of a wooden staff

Hypernyms ("staff" is a kind of...):

stick (an implement consisting of a length of wood)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "staff"):

baton (a short staff carried by some officials to symbolize an office or an authority)

crook; shepherd's 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)

flagpole; flagstaff (a tall staff or pole on which a flag is raised)

pikestaff (the staff of a pike)

quarterstaff (a long stout staff used as a weapon)

alpenstock (a stout staff with a metal point; used by mountain climbers)

Sense 3

Meaning:

The body of teachers and administrators at a school

Classified under:

Nouns denoting groupings of people or objects

Synonyms:

faculty; staff

Context example:

the dean addressed the letter to the entire staff of the university

Hypernyms ("staff" is a kind of...):

body (a group of persons associated by some common tie or occupation and regarded as an entity)

Meronyms (members of "staff"):

prof; professor (someone who is a member of the faculty at a college or university)

Holonyms ("staff" is a member of...):

school (an educational institution)

Derivation:

staff (provide with staff)

staff (serve on the staff of)

Sense 4

Meaning:

Building material consisting of plaster and hair; used to cover external surfaces of temporary structure (as at an exposition) or for decoration

Classified under:

Nouns denoting substances

Hypernyms ("staff" is a kind of...):

building material (material used for constructing buildings)

Sense 5

Meaning:

A rod carried as a symbol

Classified under:

Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents

Hypernyms ("staff" is a kind of...):

symbol (an arbitrary sign (written or printed) that has acquired a conventional significance)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "staff"):

tipstaff (staff with a metal tip carried as a sign of office by e.g. a bailiff or constable)

scepter; sceptre; verge; wand (a ceremonial or emblematic staff)

mace (a ceremonial staff carried as a symbol of office or authority)

crosier; crozier (a staff surmounted by a crook or cross carried by bishops as a symbol of pastoral office)

Sense 6

Meaning:

(music) the system of five horizontal lines on which the musical notes are written

Classified under:

Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents

Synonyms:

staff; stave

Hypernyms ("staff" is a kind of...):

musical notation ((music) notation used by musicians)

Meronyms (parts of "staff"):

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)

Domain category:

music (an artistic form of auditory communication incorporating instrumental or vocal tones in a structured and continuous manner)

• STAFF (verb)

Present simple: I / you / we / they staff    ... he / she / it staffs   
Past simple: staffed   
Past participle: staffed   
-ing form: staffing   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Provide with staff

Classified under:

Verbs of fighting, athletic activities

Context example:

This position is not always staffed

Hypernyms (to "staff" is one way to...):

cater; ply; provide; supply (give what is desired or needed, especially support, food or sustenance)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "staff"):

man (provide with workers)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Derivation:

staff (the body of teachers and administrators at a school)

staff (personnel who assist their superior in carrying out an assigned task)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Serve on the staff of

Classified under:

Verbs of fighting, athletic activities

Context example:

The two men staff the reception desk

Hypernyms (to "staff" is one way to...):

serve (do duty or hold offices; serve in a specific function)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Derivation:

staff (the body of teachers and administrators at a school)

staff (personnel who assist their superior in carrying out an assigned task)

 Context examples 

They do this through risk assessment, risk management, and staff education.

(Infection Control Nursing, NCI Thesaurus)

The garden and the stables of course have a separate staff.

(The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

End-of-Life care that is administered in the patient's home environment by the staff of the Hospice organization.

(Home Hospice, NCI Thesaurus/ACC)

The youth pondered, and drew a plan amongst the rushes with the point of his staff.

(The White Company, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

The room or rooms in which the physician and staff provide patient care.

(Physician Office, NLM, Medical Subject Headings)

Williamson is a white-bearded man, and he lives alone with a small staff of servants at the Hall.

(The Return of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

But no; first let me introduce you to the staff.

(Martin Eden, by Jack London)

You need not be ashamed to expose your ignorance, for I don't suppose the whole South Kensington staff could give a name to it.

(The Lost World, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

A designation that a patient has chosen not to heed the directions that medical staff has advised, and has chosen to leave the facility.

(Left Against Medical Advice, NCI Thesaurus)

The investigator monitors the safety of the trial subjects and investigational staff (under whose immediate direction an agent is administered or dispensed to a subject).

(Investigator, NCI Thesaurus)