staved

Held at bay

Staved is the past tense of stave.

To stave in is to break or crush inward: The hull was staved in by the rocks.

To stave off is to ward away or delay: She staved off hunger with a few crackers.

Staved also works as an adjective for something made of or fitted with staves—the wooden slats forming a barrel.

prevention

off

Not functioning

avertedPrevented from occurring
preventedStopped before occurrence
wardedDeflected or blocked

deflected · blocked · repelled · forestalled · thwarted · deterred · avoided · fended · stopped · headed

sensename

barrel

Hooped cylindrical vessel

caskWooden storage barrel
kegSmall beverage barrel
cooperWooden vessel maker

hoops · wooden · slats · cooperage · bunghole · wine · whiskey · oak · curved · vessel

damage

broken

Damaged beyond function

smashedBroken or intoxicated
crushedCompressed into fragments
puncturedPenetrated by sharp object

hole · breached · cracked · shattered · splintered · burst · ruptured · caved · collapsed · damaged

Opposites

prevention vs. allowance

Received with pleasure

allowed · permitted · invited · admitted · accepted

structural damage vs. repair

Restored to function

mended · fixed · restored · reinforced · intact

Phrases

stave offDelay or prevent
staved offDelayed or prevented
staving offPreventing or delaying
stave inBreak by crushing inward
staved inForcibly broken inward

Family

stave, staves, staving, stave off

Familiarity: Top 200,000
Profile: Used worldwide · Timeless · Everyday, not technical · Rated G