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quarterstaff

quarterstaff

1 9.9
A long strong wooden stick used as a weapon in England long ago
  • noun
  • /ˈkwɔrtərˌstæf/
translation icon : bastón
  • In the old theater play, the hero defended himself bravely using his quarterstaff against multiple attackers.

Examples

  • Remembering the quarterstaff fight with Little John, Matt had twirled his stick and sliced the air once or twice, and one thing had led to another.

    Fiction book (2002)
  • Garth gripped his hardened quarterstaff.

    Fiction book (1992)
  • Robin was forced to stop again and again to fight off their attacks with his trusty quarterstaff.

    Fiction book (2002)
  • Garth was ready this time and slammed the end of the heavy quarterstaff into the gnarled body.

    Fiction book (1992)
  • Bull joins the fray, charging like his namesake, howling in rage, flailing at heads with his quarterstaff.

    Fiction book (1991)
  • Loial wielded a quarterstaff the size of a fence rail, the whirling timber marking a space no Trolloc entered without falling.

    Fiction book (1991)
  • The quarterstaff is as deadly a weapon as a spear in the hands of a trained man, for it can be used to thrust, parry, and slash, and these men practiced with it from childhood on.

    Fiction book (1991)
  • During the medieval festival, skilled fighters demonstrated their prowess with the quarterstaff in exciting duels.

  • The instructor taught his students how to effectively use the quarterstaff as a traditional weapon in self-defense.

Synonyms

staff
vsquarterstaff
105 4.5

A long stick used for support or as a sign of authority

is a heavy wooden weapon used historically in medieval England

How Long

pike
  • Archaic
8 9.3
quarterstaff
1 9.9
staff
105 4.5
stick
686 1.0

Surface Forms

quarterstaff singular
quarterstaves plural

Morphology

quarterstaff = quarter + staff (semi-transparent) = quarter + staff

Both components are visible, but the role of 'quarter' in naming this specific weapon is not obvious to learners, so the full meaning is not fully predictable.

Etymology

Quarterstaff is made from quarter, meaning 'a part', and staff, meaning 'a long stick', and it first named a stick cut from a 'quarter' of a tree so it often had one flat side and one round side. So a quarterstaff is a long, strong wooden pole used as a weapon.