stave

v. i. To burst in pieces by striking against something; to dash into fragments. [ 1913 Webster ]

Like a vessel of glass she stove and sank. Longfellow. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ From Staff, and corresponding to the pl. staves. See Staff. ] 1. One of a number of narrow strips of wood, or narrow iron plates, placed edge to edge to form the sides, covering, or lining of a vessel or structure; esp., one of the strips which form the sides of a cask, a pail, etc. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. One of the cylindrical bars of a lantern wheel; one of the bars or rounds of a rack, a ladder, etc. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. A metrical portion; a stanza; a staff. [ 1913 Webster ]

Let us chant a passing stave
In honor of that hero brave. Wordsworth. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. (Mus.) The five horizontal and parallel lines on and between which musical notes are written or printed; the staff{ 7 }. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

Stave jointer, a machine for dressing the edges of staves. [ 1913 Webster ]

n.; pl. of Staff. “Banners, scarves and staves.” R. Browning. Also pl. of Stave. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Corrupted from NL. staphis agria, Gr. stafi`s dried grape + 'a`grios 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. [ 1913 Webster ]