Staff facts for kids

The word staff can mean many different things! It can be a long stick used for walking or as a weapon. It can also mean a group of people who work together, like the teachers and helpers at your school. In music, a staff is where you write notes. Let's explore all the cool meanings of this word!

What Does "Staff" Mean?

The word "staff" has several different meanings depending on how it's used. It can refer to objects, groups of people, or even parts of music.

Staff as a Tool or Weapon

A staff can be a long, strong stick or pole. People have used staffs for many purposes throughout history:

• Walking stick: A staff can help someone walk, especially on rough ground or when they need extra balance.
• Weapon: Long sticks have been used as weapons for a very long time.
  • The quarterstaff was a long pole used as a weapon in the Middle Ages.
  • The bō is a long stick weapon often used in Japanese martial arts.
  • The gun is a similar long stick weapon used in Chinese martial arts.
• Jacob's staff: This was a special tool used in the past for surveying land or measuring angles, like how high the sun was in the sky.

Staff as People Who Work

When you hear about a "staff" in a school or a company, it means the group of people who work there.

• Employees: These are all the people who are employed by an organization. For example, your school's staff includes teachers, librarians, and office workers.
• Military staff: In the military, the staff are the people who help with planning and command. They work behind the scenes to organize missions and strategies.

Staff in Music

In music, a staff (also called a stave) is a set of five horizontal lines. Musicians use these lines to write down musical notes. Each note is placed on a line or in a space between the lines, showing its pitch.

Staff in Ceremonies and Buildings

• Staff of office: This is a special stick or pole used in ceremonies. Important people, like leaders or officials, might carry a staff of office as a symbol of their power or position.
• Staff (building material): This is a type of artificial stone. It's used to make fancy decorations for buildings, especially for temporary structures or for detailed designs.

Staff in Railways

In railways, a staff is a special device used to keep trains safe on a single track. It's part of a system that makes sure only one train is on a certain section of track at a time.

Famous People Named Staff

• Leopold Staff (1878–1957): He was a famous poet from Poland. He wrote many beautiful poems during his lifetime.

Plural of Staff

The plural form of "staff" is usually staves. For example, you might talk about several musical staves. The word stave can also be used as a single noun to mean:

• A single musical staff.
• A curved piece of wood used with others to form the side of a barrel.