- quarterstaff
- noun (plural quarterstaves) Date: circa 1550 a long stout staff formerly used as a weapon and wielded with one hand in the middle and the other between the middle and the end
New Collegiate Dictionary. 2001.
quarterstaff
Look at other dictionaries:
quarterstaff — [kwôrt′ər staf΄] n. pl. quarterstaves [kwôrt′ərstāvz΄] 1. a stout, iron tipped, wooden staff, six to eight feet long, formerly used in England as a weapon 2. the use of the quarterstaff in fighting, often as a sport … English World dictionary
Quarterstaff — Quar ter*staff , n.; pl. {Quarterstaves}. A long and stout staff formerly used as a weapon of defense and offense; so called because in holding it one hand was placed in the middle, and the other between the middle and the end. [1913 Webster] … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
quarterstaff — (n.) 1550s, stout pole, six to eight feet long, tipped with iron, formerly a weapon used by the English peasantry. The exact sense of quarter is uncertain here; it may be from a tree of a certain size cut into quarters … Etymology dictionary
quarterstaff — ► NOUN ▪ a stout pole 6 8 feet long, formerly used as a weapon … English terms dictionary
Quarterstaff — A quarterstaff is a medieval English weapon, consisting of a shaft of hardwood, sometimes with metal reinforced tips. The name is also used for the fighting staves of other cultures, such as the Japanese bō , Chinese gùn , or French bâton .… … Wikipedia
quarterstaff — /kwawr teuhr staf , stahf /, n., pl. quarterstaves / stayvz /, quarterstaffs. 1. a former English weapon consisting of a stout pole 6 to 8 ft. (1.8 to 2.4 m) long, tipped with iron. 2. exercise or fighting with this weapon. [1540 50; QUARTER +… … Universalium
quarterstaff — n. long wooden pole with reinforced iron tips (used as a weapon); fighting with a quarterstaff … English contemporary dictionary
Quarterstaff — a long, stout pole, caarried for personal defense, and sport, in England. The English swordsman, George Silver, said the staff should be as tall as the user’s outstretched finger tips, when he lifted his hand above his head, and as thick as a… … Medieval glossary
quarterstaff — noun /ˈkwɔrtərˌstæf/ A long wooden staff or pole used as a weapon … Wiktionary
quarterstaff — quar|ter|staff [ˈkwo:təsta:f US ˈkwo:rtərstæf] n a long wooden pole that was used as a weapon in the past … Dictionary of contemporary English
