See stave in Webster's New World Roget's A-Z Thesaurus II
noun
A fairly long straight piece of solid material used especially as a support in walking:
cane, staff, stick, walking stick. See machine
phrasal verb stave offTo prohibit from occurring by advance planning or action:
avert, forestall, forfend, obviate, preclude, prevent, rule out, ward (off). Idiom: nip in the bud. See allow
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