staff

I UK [stɑːf] / US [stæf] noun
Word forms "staff":
singular staff plural staffs
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1) [singular/uncountable] the people who work for a particular company, organization, or institution: can be followed by a singular or plural verb

It is a small hospital with a staff of just over a hundred.

The staff are not happy about the new arrangement.

full-time/part-time staff:

The embassy employs around 50 people on its full-time staff.

join the staff:

She joined the staff in 1996.

a member of staff:

Peter became a very valued member of staff.

a) the ordinary workers, not the managers: can be followed by a singular or plural verb

We need better communication between management and staff.

b) the people who do paid work in a place, rather than the other people there: can be followed by a singular or plural verb

Staff and residents enjoyed the show.

recreational facilities for students and staff

c) [only before noun] relating to the staff

a staff restaurant/canteen

a staff shortage:

They blame staff shortages for the delay.

2) [countable] a stick that some officials carry on formal occasions

a staff of office

a) a long stick used for making walking easier, used mainly in the past

b) a flagpole

3) [countable] music the set of lines on which music is written

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the nursing/teaching/medical etc staff — the people within an organization who do a particular type of work: can be followed by a singular or plural verb

II UK [stɑːf] / US [stæf] verb [transitive]
Word forms "staff":
present tense I/you/we/they staff he/she/it staffs present participle staffing past tense staffed past participle staffed

1) to provide an organization with the workers that it needs

fully staffed (= with enough people working):

The outer office must be fully staffed at all times.

2) to be a worker in an organization

It is a well-managed centre staffed by qualified and professional people.