staff

staff¹ W2S2 [sta:f US stæf] n

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1¦(workers)¦

2¦(stick)¦

3¦(music)¦

4 the staff of life

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[: Old English; Origin: stAf 'stick']

1.) ¦(WORKERS)¦ [C also + plural verb British English]

the people who work for an organization

▪ The entire staff has done an outstanding job this year.

▪ They employ a total of 150 staff.

▪ The staff were very helpful.

staff of 10/50 etc

▪ Our department has a staff of seven.

medical/academic/library etc staff

▪ a strike by ambulance staff

▪ one of our longest-serving staff members

member of staff BrE

▪ I'd like to welcome a new member of staff.

on the staff (of sth)

▪ We were both on the staff of the British Film Institute at the time.

on staff AmE

▪ Joan is the only lawyer we have on staff.

staff room/meeting

(=a room or meeting for teachers in a school)

2.) ¦(STICK)¦ plural staves [steıvz]

a) old use a long thick stick to help you walk

b) a long thick stick that an official holds in some ceremonies

3.) ¦(MUSIC)¦ especially AmE the set of five lines that music is written on

= ↑stave

4.) the staff of life

literary bread

→↑general staff, ↑ground staff

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GRAMMAR

In British English, staff can be singular or plural.

In American English, staff is not used as frequently as in British English, and is never followed by a plural verb.

!! You never refer to a person as 'a staff'. Say a member of staff (BrE) or an employee .

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staff ²

staff² v [T usually passive]

to be or provide the workers for an organization

→↑overstaffed, understaffed ↑understaffed

▪ The centre is staffed mainly by volunteers.

>staffing n [U]

▪ staffing levels