staff

1. (plural staffs or staves) A long, straight, thick wooden rod or stick, especially one used to assist in walking.Examples: "And thus ſhall ye eate it [the lamb]: with your loines girded, your ſhooes on your feet, and your ſtaffe in your hand: and ye ſhall eate it in haſte: it is the Lords Paſſeouer."; "The case was that of a murder. It had an element of mystery about it, however, which was puzzling the authorities. A turban and loincloth soaked in blood had been found; also a staff."countableuncountable

2. (music, plural staffs or staves) A series of horizontal lines on which musical notes are written; a stave.countableuncountable

3. (plural staff or staffs) The employees of a business.Examples: "The company employed 10 new members of staff this month."; "The company has taken on 1600 more highly-paid staff."; "No department of the Southern Railway escaped some share of the work involved, and the outdoor traffic and locomotive staffs in particular were engaged literally night and day, snatching a few hours' sleep as opportunity offered, until the task was completed."Synonyms: personnelcountableuncountable

4. (uncountable) A mixture of plaster and fibre used as a temporary exterior wall covering.ᵂuncountable

5. (archaic) The rung of a ladder.Examples: "I ascend at one [ladder] of six hundred and thirty-nine staves."archaiccountableuncountable

6. (engineering) An arbor, as of a wheel or a pinion of a watch.countableuncountable