stadtholder (dt as t)

[Dut. stadhouder, from stad =a city, and houder =a holder.] Formerly the chief magistrate of the United Provinces of Holland; or the governor or lieutenant-governor of a province. "William, first of the name, Prince of Orange Na au, and Stadtholder of Holland, had headed the memorable insurrection against Spain." -Macaulay : Hist . Eng ., ch. ii. stadt-hold-er-ate, stadt-hold-er-ship (dt as t), s. [ Eng.stadtholder ; -ate , -ship .] The position or office of a stadtholder. "He turned bookmaker, and wrote a book about the Stadtholderate." -J. Morley: Diderot , ch. xv. staff, *staf, *staffe (pl. stāves , staffs , in senses A. I. 7 and B.3 always the latter), s. [A. S. stæf (pl. stafas staves, letters of the alphabet); cogn. with Dut. staf ; Icel. stafr = a staff, a written letter; Dan. stab , stay ; Sw. staf ; O. H. Ger. stap ; Ger. stab ; Gael. stob ; Lat. stipes a stock, a post. Allied to stab and stub .] A. Ordinary Language: I. Literally: IMG:content-0165.png:[blocks in formation] 5. An ensign of authority; a badge of office. 6. A name given in composition to several in struments formerly used for taking the sun's alt i tude at sea; as, a back - staff , a cro - staff , . 7. A body or number of executive officers at tached to any establishment for the carrying out of staff elite its designs; a number of persons, considered as one body, intrusted with the carrying on of any un der taking; as, a hospital staff , the staff of the ordnance survey, . [B.3.] II. Figuratively : 1. A support; that which supports, props, or upholds. "Thou trust est in the staff of this broken reed."Isaiah, xxxvi. 6. 2. A stanza, a stave. "Cowley found out that no kind of staf is proper for an heroic poem, as being all too lyrical."- Dryden : Disc. Epic Poetry. B. Technically : 1. Arch .: The same as RUDENTURE (q. v.). 2. Metall .: A bar of iron about four feet long, welded at one end to a flat piece or blade of iron, resembling in shape a baker's peel. On this the stamps are placed for re-heating. 3. Mil .: A body of officers selected and appointed to carry out the higher administration and moving of an army. Each unit, such as brigade, division, and corps. contains a certain number of staff officers. The staff is divided into two sub-departments that of the Adjutant-General, which deals with equipment and discipline of the troops; and that of the Quartermaster-General, which has to do with the marching and manœuvring of troops. In addition to this, each General has his personal IMG:content-0166.png:[blocks in formation] Mil.: One of a superior cla of non-commi ioned officers belonging to the staff of a regiment as a quartermaster-sergeant, armorer-sergeant, . staff-sling, staffe-slynge, * staf-slinge, *staf-sloung, s . 1. Anthrop.: A stick-sling (q. v.). "The staff - sling reappears in Roman times in a some what modified form, with a receptacle for the stone attached to the end of a staff. To this weapon the name of fustibulus was given."- Evans : Ancient Stone Implements, p. 373. 2. Archœol.: An ancient weapon of war, consisting of a sling attached to the end of a staff. It was held with both hands, and was used to throw stones, and, at a later period, grenades. "This geaunt at him stones caste Out of a fel staf - slinge ." Chaucer: Rime of Sir Topas , 2,019.