stave
verbUK /steɪv/
US /steɪv/
To stave off something means to stop it from happening for a while.
We ate a snack to stave off hunger until dinner.
OTHER MEANINGS
2. A stave is a strong wooden stick or one of the curved pieces of wood that make a barrel.
The barrel was made of oak staves fitted tightly together.
3. A stave is a set of five lines on which music is written.
The notes were drawn on the stave.
4. To stave something in means to break or smash it inward.
The crash staved in the side of the boat.