a state or territory partly controlled by (but not a possession of) a stronger state but autonomous in internal affairs; protectorates are established by treaty
a strong rod or stick with a specialized utilitarian purpose; "he walked with the help of a wooden staff"
(music) the system of five horizontal lines on which the musical notes are written
a rod carried as a symbol
the body of teachers and administrators at a school; "the dean addressed the letter to the entire staff of the university"
personnel who assist their superior in carrying out an assigned task; "the hospital has an excellent nursing staff"; "the general relied on his staff to make routine decisions"
building material consisting of plaster and hair; used to cover external surfaces of temporary structure (as at an exposition) or for decoration
provide with staff; "This position is not always staffed"
serve on the staff of; "The two men staff the reception desk"
line thrown from a vessel that people can cling to in order to save themselves from drowning
line that raises or lowers a deep-sea diver
support that enables people to survive or to continue doing something (often by providing an essential connection); "the airlift provided a lifeline for Berlin"; "she offered me a lifeline in my time of grief"
the act of punishing; "the offenders deserved the harsh discipline they received"
the trait of being well behaved; "he insisted on discipline among the troops"
a system of rules of conduct or method of practice; "he quickly learned the discipline of prison routine"; "for such a plan to work requires discipline";
a branch of knowledge; "in what discipline is his doctorate?"; "teachers should be well trained in their subject"; "anthropology is the study of human beings"
punish in order to gain control or enforce obedience; "The teacher disciplined the pupils rather frequently"
train by instruction and practice; especially to teach self-control; "Parents must discipline their children"; "Is this dog trained?"
a knowledge domain that you are interested in or are communicating about; "it was a limited domain of discourse"; "here we enter the region of opinion"; "the realm of the occult"
territory over which rule or control is exercised; "his domain extended into Europe"; "he made it the law of the land"
the set of values of the independent variable for which a function is defined
a close affectionate and protective acceptance; "his willing embrace of new ideas"; "in the bosom of the family"
the act of clasping another person in the arms (as in greeting or affection)
the state of taking in or encircling; "an island in the embrace of the sea"
squeeze (someone) tightly in your arms, usually with fondness; "Hug me, please"; "They embraced"; "He hugged her close to him"
include in scope; include as part of something broader; have as one's sphere or territory; "This group encompasses a wide range of people from different backgrounds"; "this should cover everyone in the group"