staff
• noun 1 treated as sing. or pl. the employees of an organization. 2 treated as sing. or pl. a group of officers assisting an officer in command of an army formation or administration headquarters. 3 a long stick used as a support or weapon. 4 a rod or sceptre held as a sign of office or authority. 5 Music another term for STAVE (in sense 3). • verb provide with staff. — PHRASES the staff of life a staple food or usual sustenance. — ORIGIN Old English.
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