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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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First published 1974 (SND Vol. IX). Includes material from the 2005 supplement.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

STAVE, n., v. Also staive; stauv, and erron. ste(e)ve. Sc. forms and usages. [ste:v; in sense 1. stɑ:v. See Staff.]

I. n. 1. A walking-stick, a staff (Kcb. 1971). Also in n.Eng. dial.Gall. a.1897 R. Ringan's Plewman Cracks 34:
Syne leaned on his stauv to lowp the fence.

2. As in Eng., one of the side-pieces of a barrel or the like (Rnf. 1742 W. Hector Judicial Rec. (1876) I. 145, steeve). Sc. phrs. to ding in staves, to fa in(to) staves, to smash, to fall to pieces, lit. and fig. (Sh., Ork., Ags., Per. 1971), to tak a stave out o' one's cog, to cut down one's rations, reduce one's spending. See Staff, n., 2.Sc. 1706 W. Forbes Decisions (1714) 90:
The Pursuer needed not suffer his Malt to corrupt nor his Looms to fall in Staves.Ayr. 1785 Burns Earnest Cry ix.:
To see his poor auld Mither's pot Thus dung in staves.Edb. 1851 A. MacLagan Sketches 158:
I only wonder The world was na dung in staves.Ayr. 1889 H. Johnston Glenbuckie xvi.:
I must either get my income augmented or take a “stave out of my cog.”Lnk. 1895 W. C. Fraser Whaups ii.:
A dune man, fa'in into staves.

3. From the vbl. senses below: (1) a sharp, forceful blow, a jab, bash (Bnff. 1866 Gregor D. Bnff. 180, staive); a crushing or breaking of a ship's timber.Sc. 1819 J. Rennie St Patrick I. xv.:
Our bit curragh's no that rackle sin it got a stave on the Partan-rock.m.Sc. c.1840 J. Strathesk Hawkie (1888) 51:
One of the spurs of the bone gave me such a stave that nearly took the heart from me.

(2) a sprain or wrench of a bone or joint, esp. where the bone has been almost but not quite fractured (Cld. 1825 Jam., staive). Gen.Sc.wm.Sc. 1923 H. Foulis Hurricane Jack 80:
There's wan o' them [legs] broken and the other's a nesty stave.

II. v. 1. tr. or intr. with at: to aim blows at, as with a stick or staff, to hit, buffet, belabour. Phr. to let stave, to make a thrust or butt.Rnf. 1815 W. Finlayson Rhymes 28:
Eddying gales, rough, shiv'ring stave My aching form.Sc. 1819 J. Rennie St Patrick III. xi.:
Stavin' at ane anither, and struislin, i' the dark.Fif. 1857 W. Blair Rambling Recoll. 32:
The bull lets stave at him wi' its horns.

2. To thicken iron by heating and hammering (Sc. 1825 Jam.; Inv., wm.Sc., Kcb. 1971), to hammer two pieces of metal together, to make a joint, esp. of lead, by striking it when heated with a caulking-iron (Sc. 1952 Builder (20 June) 943). Hard staved, well caulked (Ib.).Edb. 1781 Session Papers, Petition J. Johnston (19 Jan.) Proof 6:
When the bar is staved in the end, the price of the cutting and staving is a penny.Sc. 1850 J. Ogilvie Dict.:
Stave, v., 6. To make firm by compression. The term is applied to the compression of lead by a hammer or blunt chisel, after it has been run in to secure a joining, such as the socket joints of pipes.Gall. 1904 E.D.D.:
A blacksmith also staves iron by impact of a heated end of a bar on the anvil.Sc. 1946 Spons' Pract. Builders' Pocket Bk. 442:
Staved Lead Joints — Caulked joints to iron pipes.

3. To sprain, bruise or contuse a joint of the body (Per. 1915 Wilson L. Strathearn 268; Bwk. 1942 Wettstein; Rxb. 1942 Zai; Uls. 1953 Traynor; Sh., n.Sc., Ags., Per., e.Lth., Ayr. 1971). Ppl.adj. staved.Cld. 1825 Jam.:
To staive the thoum.Lnk. 1853 W. Watson Poems (1877) 5:
Ane's stavin' out o' joint his thum'.Sc. 1887 Jam.:
He steved his wrist and staved my thumb.Slk. 1892 W. M. Adamson Betty Blether 69:
Didn't I gaun awa' an' stave my hand wi' splittin' some sticks?Fif. 1904 Caled. Medical Jnl. V. 4:
A collier who had been to a bone-setter with a “staved thoom.”Gsw. 1987 Peter Mason C'mon Geeze Yer Patter! 21:
Ah staved ma big toe breengin aboot in ma baries. I sprained my large toe frolicking around in my bare feet. Sc. 1993 Herald 22 Mar 13:
"The object is gradually to work the boys into shape for the upcoming eight matches. The huge advantage of playing and training in this sort of climate is that the likelihood of pulled muscles and staved fingers is greatly reduced." Sc. 1994 Daily Record 6 May 32:
They instituted a new awareness programme and are now celebrating over 1000 accident-free days at their plant.
That's almost three years without so much as a staved finger. Sc. 2003 Herald 21 Mar 36:
Already the wide receivers are well aware of the Favre influence on the man widely anticipated to be their season starter. Stinging hands and staved fingers are an occupational hazard for Packers receivers and early indications on the training field suggest that his understudy has been taught the art of power-passes. Edb. 2004:
Ah staved ma finger oan the car door.

4. To walk in an unsteady, blundering or bemused way, to move forward quickly and clumsily, to barge on (Sc. 1808 Jam.; Rxb. 1923 Watson W.-B.; Abd., em.Sc.(a), Lnk., Slk. 1971); to wander about aimlessly. Ppl.adj. stavin(g), staggering, esp. of one in drink (Uls. 1904 E.D.D.; Abd. 1929). Pa.t . staved, stove (Abd.¹⁵ 1946).Lnk. a.1832 W. Watt Poems (1860) 369:
Whare got ye your manners, to come stavin' into ony gentleman's company?Lnk. 1875 T. Stewart Doric Rhyme 151:
If he, instead o' stavin', Or loungin' on the Avon braes.Sc. 1893 Stevenson Catriona xxiii.:
I had been staving on ahead in mere blindness.Arg. 1902 N. Munro Shoes of Fortune xxxii.:
A fellow in drink came staving down the street.Edb. 1928 A. D. Mackie Poems 51:
Strampin' the bent, like the Angel o' Daith, The mowdie-man staves by.Inv. 1948 Football Times (11 Sept.):
You heard the expression “staver” or “staving” — much more economic than the phrase “three sheets in the wind.”wm.Sc. 1966 Kenneth White Letters from Gourgounel 117:
... just kept staiving on to St-Laurent. Ayr. 1997:
Ye cannae stave away up to the cemetery wi aw yer oilskins on when ye're working.