stave

wood strip

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Last updated

July 14, 2026

Quick Summary

A stave is a narrow strip of wood or metal used to form the sides of a vessel, such as a barrel. These staves are placed edge to edge and are often held together by hoops. This construction method is traditional for barrels, which are cylindrical containers used for storing liquids or dry goods.12

In architecture, "stave" also refers to the corner posts used in the construction of stave churches, a type of wooden church built in northern Europe during the Middle Ages. These churches, primarily found in Norway, feature vertical wall timbers rather than the horizontal logs common in other wooden structures.3

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barrel
…construction traditionally made from wooden staves and wooden or metal hoops. The term is also a unit of volume measure, specifically 31 gallons of a fermented or distilled beverage, or 42 gallons of a petroleum product. According to the 1st-century-ad Roman historian Pliny the Elder, the ancient craft of barrel…
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…construction traditionally made from wooden staves and wooden or metal hoops. The term is also a unit of volume measure, specifically 31 gallons of a fermented or distilled beverage, or 42 gallons of a petroleum product. According to the 1st-century-ad Roman historian Pliny the Elder, the ancient craft of barrel…
Read More