Search the Dictionary

or its relative, A minor) by means of one or more sharps or flats at the beginning of the staff, immediately after the clef, affecting all notes of the same letter throughout the piece or movement. Each minor key has the same signature as its relative major.

n; that is to ride on a horse with a woman, but behind her, facing backward, carrying a distaff, and accompanied by a procession of jeering neighbors making mock music; a cavalcade in ridicule of a henpecked man. The custom was in vogue in parts of England.

One of the intervals, or open places, between the lines of the staff. Absolute space, Euclidian space, etc. See under Absolute, Euclidian, etc. -- Space line (Print.), a thin piece of metal used by printers to open the lines of type to a regular distance from each other, and for other purposes; a lead. Hansard. -- Sp…

ith sheepskin with the wool on, or cloth with a heavy looped nap, and having a handle, or staff.

Anything which serves for support; a staff; a prop; a crutch; a cane. His weak steps governing And aged limbs on cypress stadle stout. Spenser.

A horizontal graduated bar mounted on a staff, used as a stadium, or telemeter, for measuring distances.

nded by three distant objects, whose positions are known, have been observed. -- Station staff (Surv.), an instrument for taking angles in surveying. Craig.

A metrical portion; a stanza; a staff. Let us chant a passing stave In honor of that hero brave. Wordsworth.

pl. of Staff. "Banners, scarves and staves." R. Browning. Also (stavz),

urse of; to guide; to govern; -- applied especially to a vessel in the water. That with a staff his feeble steps did steer. Spenser.

ely slender piece of wood, whether in natural form or shaped with tools; a rod; a wand; a staff; as, the stick of a rocket; a walking stick.

A staff department of the United States army charged, under the supervision of the Chief of Staff, with the purchasing and issuing to the army of such supplies as make up the ration. It also supplies, for authorized sales, certain articles of food and other minor stores. It is commanded by any officer of the rank of b…

sed for beating and cleaning flax; a scutcher; - - called also swingling knife, swingling staff, and swingling wand.

lance, but usually in an unknightly or unscientific manner. [Obs.] Do not fear; I have A staff to taint, and bravely. Massinger.

The sliding crosspiece, or vane, on a leveling staff.

The interval between any tone and the tone represented on the tenth degree of the staff above it, as between one of the scale and three of the octave above; the octave of the third.

A staff entwined with ivy, and surmounted by a pine cone, or by a bunch of vine or ivy leaves with grapes or berries. It is an attribute of Bacchus, and of the satyrs and others engaging in Bacchic rites. A good to grow on graves As twist about a thyrsus. Mrs. Browning. In my hand I bear The thyrsus, tipped with fragra…

A small mortar on the end of a staff.

Like a toad. [Obs.] A. Stafford.

The vane of a cross-staff. Chambers.