n. a strong rod or stick with a specialized utilitarian purpose; "he walked with the help of a wooden staff"

n. a rod carried as a symbol

n. personnel who assist their superior in carrying out an assigned task; "the hospital has an excellent nursing staff"; "the general relied on his staff to make routine decisions"

n. (music) the system of five horizontal lines on which the musical notes are written

n. the body of teachers and administrators at a school; "the dean addressed the letter to the entire staff of the university"

v. determine (what is to happen in certain contingencies), especially by including a proviso condition or stipulation; "The will provides that each child should receive half of the money"; "The Constitution provides for the right to free speech"

v. mount or put up; "put up a good fight"; "offer resistance"

v. provide with staff; "This position is not always staffed"

v. provide what is desired or needed, especially support, food or sustenance; "The hostess provided lunch for all the guests"

v. provide or furnish with; "We provided the room with an electrical heater"

adv. together with somebody, as a companion or in association with: "His little sister came along to the movies"

n. a stick that people can lean on to help them walk

n. control consisting of a mechanical or electrical or electronic device for making or breaking or changing the connections in a circuit

n. railroad track having two movable rails and necessary connections; used to turn a train from one track to another or to store rolling stock

n. a long fiberglass sports implement used for pole vaulting

n. a group of people who work together

n. an organized group of workmen

n. the group following and attending to some important person

n. someone who escorts and protects a prominent person

v. inhabit or live in; "People lived in Africa millions of years ago"; "The people inhabited the islands that are now deserted"; "this kind of fish dwells near the bottom of the ocean"

v. be able to feed; "This land will carry ten cows to the acre"

v. put into a good mood

v. supply with provisions

v. look after; be the keeper of; have charge of; "He keeps the shop when I am gone"

v. have and exercise; "wield power and authority"

v. extend in scope or range or area; "The law was extended to all citizens"; "widen the range of applications"; "broaden your horizon"; "Extend your backyard"

v. make ready or suitable or equip in advance for a particular purpose or for some use, event, etc; "Get the children ready for school!"; "prepare for war"; "I was fixing to leave town after I paid the hotel bill"

v. fill something that had previously been emptied; "refill my glass, please"

v. equip with sails or masts; "rig a ship"

v. put into a good mood

v. fill or meet a want or need

v. set the level or character of; "She pitched her speech to the teenagers in the audience"

v. extend in scope or range or area; "The law was extended to all citizens"; "widen the range of applications"; "broaden your horizon"; "Extend your backyard"

v. make known to the public information that was previously known only to a few people or that was meant to be kept a secret; "The auction house would not disclose the price at which the van Gogh had sold"; "The actress won't reveal how old she is"; "bring out the truth"; "he broke the news to her"; "unwrap the evidence in the murder case"

v. work for or be a servant to; "May I serve you?"; "She attends the old lady in the wheelchair"; "Can you wait on our table, please?"; "Is a salesperson assisting you?"; "The minister served the King for many years"

v. take into one's possession; "We are taking an orphan from Romania"; "I'll take three salmon steaks"

v. take into one's possession; "We are taking an orphan from Romania"; "I'll take three salmon steaks"

v. obtain by purchase; acquire by means of a financial transaction; "The family purchased a new car"; "The conglomerate acquired a new company"; "She buys for the big department store"

v. hold back; refuse to hand over or share; "The father is withholding the allowance until the son cleans his room"

v. retain and refrain from disbursing; of payments; "My employer is withholding taxes"