Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English homepage

stave

2 verb
     
stave2 past tense and past participle staved or stove

stave something ↔ in

phrasal verb
to break something inwards:
The ship's side was stove in when it went onto the rocks.

stave something ↔ off

phrasal verb
to keep someone or something from reaching you or affecting you for a period of time:
She brought some fruit on the journey to stave off hunger.
Definition from the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
Advanced Learner's Dictionary.

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