Part 718

I ascend at one [ladder] of six hundred and thirty-nine staves.

Dr. J. Campbell (E. Brown's Travels).

6. A series of verses so disposed that, when it is concluded, the same order begins again; a stanza; a stave.

Cowley found out that no kind of staff is proper for an heroic poem, as being all too lyrical.

Dryden.

7. (Mus.) The five lines and the spaces on which music is written; -- formerly called stave.

8. (Mech.) An arbor, as of a wheel or a pinion of a watch.

9. (Surg.) The grooved director for the gorget, or knife, used in cutting for stone in the bladder.

10. [From Staff, 3, a badge of office.] (Mil.) 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 État Major.

11. Hence: A body of assistants serving to carry into effect the plans of a superintendant or manager; as, the staff of a newspaper.

Jacob's staff (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. -- Staff angle (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. -- The staff of life, bread. "Bread is the staff of life." Swift. -- Staff tree (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). -- To set, or To put, up, or down, one's staff, to take up one's residence; to lodge. [Obs.]

Staf"fi*er (?), n. An attendant bearing a staff. [Obs.] "Staffiers on foot." Hudibras.

Staff"ish (?), a. Stiff; harsh. [Obs.] Ascham.

Staff"man (?), n.; pl. Staffmen (&?;). A workman employed in silk throwing.

Stag (?), n. [Icel. steggr the male of several animals; or a doubtful AS. stagga. Cf. Steg.] 1. (Zoöl.) (a) The adult male of the red deer (Cervus elaphus), a large European species closely related to the American elk, or wapiti. (b) The male of certain other species of large deer.

2. A colt, or filly; also, a romping girl. [Prov. Eng.]

3. A castrated bull; -- called also bull stag, and bull seg. See the Note under Ox.

4. (Stock Exchange) (a) An outside irregular dealer in stocks, who is not a member of the exchange. (b) One who applies for the allotment of shares in new projects, with a view to sell immediately at a premium, and not to hold the stock.

5. (Zoöl.) The European wren. [Prov. Eng.]

Stag beetle (Zoöl.), any one of numerous species of lamellicorn beetles belonging to Lucanus and allied genera, especially L. cervus of Europe and L. dama of the United States. The mandibles are large and branched, or forked, whence the name. The lava feeds on the rotten wood of dead trees. Called also horned bug, and horse beetle. -- Stag dance, a dance by men only. [slang, U.S.] -- Stag hog (Zoöl.), the babiroussa. -- Stag-horn coral (Zoöl.), any one of several species of large branching corals of the genus Madrepora, which somewhat resemble the antlers of the stag, especially Madrepora cervicornis, and M. palmata, of Florida and the West Indies. -- Stag-horn fern (Bot.), an Australian and West African fern (Platycerium alcicorne) having the large fronds branched like a stag's horns; also, any species of the same genus. -- Stag-horn sumac (Bot.), a common American shrub (Rhus typhina) having densely velvety branchlets. See Sumac. -- Stag party, a party consisting of men only. [Slang, U. S.] -- Stag tick (Zoöl.), a parasitic dipterous insect of the family Hippoboscidæ, which lives upon the stag and in usually wingless. The same species lives also upon the European grouse, but in that case has wings.

Stag, v. i. (Com.) To act as a "stag", or irregular dealer in stocks.

Stag, v. t. To watch; to dog, or keep track of. [Prov. Eng. or Slang] H. Kingsley.

Stage (?), n. [OF. estage, F. étage, (assumed) LL. staticum, from L. stare to stand. See Stand, and cf. Static.] 1. A floor or story of a house. [Obs.] Wyclif.

2. An elevated platform on which an orator may speak, a play be performed, an exhibition be presented, or the like.

3. A floor elevated for the convenience of mechanical work, or the like; a scaffold; a staging.

4. A platform, often floating, serving as a kind of wharf.

5. The floor for scenic performances; hence, the theater; the playhouse; hence, also, the profession of representing dramatic compositions; the drama, as acted or exhibited.

Knights, squires, and steeds, must enter on the stage.