1. (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.

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