- 1 [countable, usually singular, uncountable] all the workers employed in an organization considered as a group medical staff (British English) teaching staff (British English) We have 20 part-time members of staff. (North American English) staff members staff development/training a staff restaurant/meeting (especially British English) a lawyer on the staff of the Worldwide Fund for Nature Grammar Pointstaff In British English staff (sense 1) can be singular:a staff of ten(= a group of ten people) or plural:I have ten staff working for me. If it is the subject of a verb, this verb is plural:The staff in this shop are very helpful. In North American English staff (senses 1 and 2) can only be singular:a staff of ten (but notten staff)The staff in this store is very helpful. The plural form staffs is less frequent but is used in both British English and North American English to refer to more than one group of people:the senator and his staff (singular) senators and their staffs (plural). CollocationsJobsGetting a job look for work look for/apply for/go for a job get/pick up/complete/fill out/ (British English) fill in an application (form) send/email your (British English) CV/(North American English) résumé/application/application form/covering letter be called for/have/attend an interview offer somebody a job/work/employment/promotion find/get/land a job employ/ (especially North American English) hire/recruit/ (especially British English) take on staff/workers/trainees recruit/appoint a managerDoing a job arrive at/get to/leave work/the office/the factory start/finish work/your shift do/put in/work overtime have/gain/get/lack/need experience/qualifications do/get/have/receive training learn/pick up/improve/develop (your) skills cope with/manage/share/spread the workload improve your/achieve a better work-life balance have (no) job satisfaction/job securityBuilding a career have a job/work/a career/a vocation find/follow/pursue/ (especially North American English) live (out) your vocation enter/go into/join a profession choose/embark on/start/begin/pursue a career change jobs/profession/career be/ (both especially British English) work/go freelance do/take on temp work/freelance work do/be engaged in/be involved in voluntary workLeaving your job leave/ (especially North American English) quit/resign from your job give up work/your job/your career hand in your notice/resignation plan to/be due to retire in June/next year, etc. take early retirement see also ground staff Oxford Collocations Dictionary adjectivefull-time, part-time, permanent, … verb + staffemploy, have, appoint, … staff + verbwork, deal with somebody/something, serve somebody/something, … staff + nounmember, person, position, … prepositionon the staff (of) phraseschief of staff, member of staff See full entry See related entries: Teaching and learning, In the store
- 2[singular] (North American English) the people who work at a school, college or university, but who do not teach students students, faculty and staff Oxford Collocations Dictionary adjectivefull-time, part-time, permanent, … verb + staffemploy, have, appoint, … staff + verbwork, deal with somebody/something, serve somebody/something, … staff + nounmember, person, position, … prepositionon the staff (of) phraseschief of staff, member of staff See full entry See related entries: People in schools
- 3[countable + singular or plural verb] a group of senior army officers who help a commanding officer a staff officer see also chief of staff, general staff Oxford Collocations Dictionary adjectivefull-time, part-time, permanent, … verb + staffemploy, have, appoint, … staff + verbwork, deal with somebody/something, serve somebody/something, … staff + nounmember, person, position, … prepositionon the staff (of) phraseschief of staff, member of staff See full entry
- 4[countable] (old-fashioned or formal) a long stick used as a support when walking or climbing, as a weapon, or as a symbol of authority
- 5 (especially North American English) (pl. staves) (also stave) [countable] (music) a set of five lines on which music is written Word OriginOld English stæf (in sense (4)), of Germanic origin; related to Dutch staf and German Stab.Extra examples A spokesperson said that the bank expects to make 15 000 staff redundant over the next three years. He joined the editorial staff in 1999. He’s a staff writer for The New Yorker. I’ve heard they’re recruiting staff at the moment. She has been on the staff of the hospital for most of her working life. She’s a staff scientist at the Research Institute. Some companies are struggling to retain skilled staff. Specialist training is necessary for staff carrying out this work. The Wimbledon ground staff pulled the covers over the courts. The bar staff can serve around a hundred drinks an hour. The company has a staff of fifty. The hospital is freezing staff appointments as part of its cutbacks. The staff are working under pressure. There are four full-time members of staff. There are only four full-time members of staff in the company. There is separate staff accommodation for the housekeeper. They pay their staff by cheque. We’ll be down to a skeleton staff over Christmas. a staff person for a government agency a staff position at ‘Life’ magazine a staff report by the House Foreign Affairs Committee staff appointed to the project the campaign staff of President Obama the ground staff at the airport the medical staff who treated him during his confinement All medical staff are tested for the virus. He’s a lawyer on the staff of the Wordwide Fund for Nature. I have ten staff working for me. I tend not to eat in the staff restaurant. Students, faculty and staff were all men in those days. The school is closed for staff development. The staff in this shop are very helpful. Three staff members were suspended after the incident. We have 20 part-time members of staff. a staff of ten senators and their staffs the senator and his staffIdioms
noun jump to other results
BrE BrE//stɑːf//; NAmE NAmE//stæf//
Teaching and learning, People in schools, In the store(literary) a basic food, especially bread
Check pronunciation: staff
