staple

[ stey-puhl ]

/ ˈsteɪ pəl /

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See synonyms for: staple / stapled / staples / stapling on Thesaurus.com

noun

a short piece of wire bent so as to bind together papers, sections of a book, or the like, by driving the ends through the sheets and clinching them on the other side.

a similar, often U-shaped piece of wire or metal with pointed ends for driving into a surface to hold a hasp, hook, pin, bolt, wire, or the like.

verb (used with object), sta·pled, sta·pling.

to secure or fasten by a staple or staples: to staple three sheets together.

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Origin of staple

First recorded before 900; Middle English stapel “support, stake, post,” Old English stapol “post, column”; cognate with Middle Dutch stapel “foundation,” German Stapel “pile,” Old Norse stǫpull “pillar”

Words nearby staple

staphylinid, staphylo-, staphylococcus, staphyloplasty, staphylorrhaphy, staple, staple gun, stapler, stapling, star, star anise

Other definitions for staple (2 of 2)

staple²

[ stey-puhl ]

/ ˈsteɪ pəl /

noun

a principal raw material or commodity grown or manufactured in a locality.

a principal commodity in a mercantile field; goods in steady demand or of known or recognized quality.

a basic or necessary item of food: She bought flour, sugar, salt, and other staples.

a basic or principal item, thing, feature, element, or part:Cowboy dramas are a staple on television.

the fiber of wool, cotton, flax, rayon, etc., considered with reference to length and fineness.

Textiles. a standard length of textile fibers, representing the average of such fibers taken collectively, as short-staple or long-staple cotton.

History/Historical. a town or place appointed by royal authority as the seat of a body of merchants having the exclusive right of purchase of certain classes of goods for export.

adjective

chief or prominent among the products exported or produced by a country or district; chiefly or largely dealt in or consumed.

basic, chief, or principal: staple industries.

principally used: staple subjects of conversation.

verb (used with object), sta·pled, sta·pling.

to sort or classify according to the staple or fiber, as wool.

Origin of staple

First recorded in 1350–1400; late Middle English staple, stapel “official market where merchants have trading rights,” from Anglo-French staple, Old French estaple, from Medieval Latin stapula, staplus, from Middle Dutch stapel, stapol

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use staple in a sentence

Farmers losing crops in many areas of southern China because of the floods has created a “severe challenge for self-sufficiency of staple grains.”
Why Is China Cracking Down on Food Waste?|Daniel Malloy|September 3, 2020|Ozy
She’s got the obligatory sharp-cut, bad-gal bob and frosty demeanor we’ve come to expect from the villainous egomaniac’s character, or in this case, the staple scientist with a God complex.
Stream or Skip? A Synthetic Biologist’s Review of ‘Biohackers’ on Netflix|Elsa Sotiriadis|September 2, 2020|Singularity Hub
Mars, the company behind Halloween staples like M&M’s and Snickers, starts its planning for the big day two years in advance.
How scary will a COVID-19 Halloween be for candy companies?|Beth Kowitt|August 29, 2020|Fortune
With more plans for their upcoming summer collection, Gaydina believes this fabric is going to be one of the company’s staples.
How a Wasteland Shrub Is Becoming the Next Big Thing in Fashion|Daniel Malloy|August 28, 2020|Ozy

Located in the South End, Club Café has been a staple of Boston nightlife since 1982.
Boston: A Historic City and a Trailblazer for Equality|LGBTQ-Editor|August 2, 2020|No Straight News
The head banquet man at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in New York City started serving the concoction as a menu staple in 1938.
History's Craziest Hangover Cures|Justin Jones|December 30, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Tor, on the other hand, has been an Internet staple for years.
The Attack on the Hidden Internet|Marc Rogers|December 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The talk radio phenom and Fox News staple has identified himself as a longtime listener of the TRN patriarch.
The Godfather of Right-Wing Radio|Caitlin Dickson|November 23, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Cookie Monster has always been one of the most beloved features of that PBS childhood staple, Sesame Street.
Cookie Monster Stars in Harry Potter Parody|Jack Holmes, The Daily Beast Video|October 28, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Erectile dysfunction jokes have become a staple for comedy in the last 15 years.
Laughter Will Be the Legacy of Viagra|Samantha Allen|October 2, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Flax is a great staple of the North of Ireland, and three fourths of it is beaten flat to the earth.
Glances at Europe|Horace Greeley
It caught him full in the middle; he doubled like a staple and with a cry of pain toppled into the snow.
The Soldier of the Valley|Nelson Lloyd
Coffee is the staple production, though Indian corn, mandioca and fruit are produced largely for local consumption.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 5, Slice 2|Various
In classical times wheat was the staple grain grown for food, not differing much from that which we use to-day.
The Private Life of the Romans|Harold Whetstone Johnston
Another use of mats is in the baling of two of the staple products of the Philippines, tobacco and abaca.
Philippine Mats|Hugo H. Miller

British Dictionary definitions for staple (1 of 2)

staple¹

/ (ˈsteɪpəl) /

noun

a short length of thin wire bent into a square U-shape, used to fasten papers, cloth, etc

a short length of stiff wire formed into a U-shape with pointed ends, used for holding a hasp to a post, securing electric cables, etc

verb

(tr) to secure (papers, wire, etc) with a staple or staples

Word Origin for staple

Old English stapol prop, of Germanic origin; related to Middle Dutch stapel step, Old High German staffal

British Dictionary definitions for staple (2 of 2)

staple²

/ (ˈsteɪpəl) /

adjective

of prime importance; principalstaple foods

(of a commodity) forming a predominant element in the product, consumption, or trade of a nation, region, etc

noun

a staple commodity

a main constituent; integral part

mainly US and Canadian a principal raw material produced or grown in a region

the fibre of wool, cotton, etc, graded as to length and fineness

(in medieval Europe) a town appointed to be the exclusive market for one or more major exports of the land

verb

(tr) to arrange or sort (wool, cotton, etc) according to length and fineness

Word Origin for staple

C15: from Middle Dutch stapel warehouse; see staple 1

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

staple

Origin of staple

Words nearby staple

Other definitions for staple (2 of 2)

Origin of staple

Words related to staple

How to use staple in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for staple (1 of 2)

Word Origin for staple

British Dictionary definitions for staple (2 of 2)

Word Origin for staple