stapler

¹ American  

[stay-pler] / ˈsteɪ plər /

noun

1. a machine for fastening together sheets of paper or the like, with wire staples.

2. a wire-stitching machine, especially one used in bookbinding.

3. Also called staple gun. a hand-powered tool used for driving heavy-duty wire staples into wood and other materials.

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stapler ² American  

[stay-pler] / ˈsteɪ plər /

noun

1. a person who staples wool.

2. a merchant who deals in a staple or staples.

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stapler British  

/ ˈsteɪplə /

noun

1. a machine that inserts staples into sheets of paper, etc, to hold them together

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Etymology

Origin of stapler¹

First recorded in 1905–10; staple ¹ + -er ¹

Origin of stapler²

First recorded in 1505–15; staple ² + -er ¹

Explanation

A stapler is an office tool that fastens multiple sheets of paper together. If you don't have a paper clip, you'll need a stapler for your book report. A stapler works by pushing the sharp metal ends of a staple through the paper and folding the staple's ends so the sheets are securely fastened together. Eighteenth-century French toolmakers created the first stapler for King Louis XV, with every single staple inscribed with the royal court insignia. Earlier, sealing wax acted as a less-effective kind of fastener. In 2012, $80 million was spent on staplers.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

stapler

Elsewhere in the warehouse, an authenticator uses a device smaller than a stapler to scan a Louis Vuitton tote to help determine whether the leather, stitching and branding are authentic.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 21, 2026

Gabriel Trujillo, just 8 or 9 years old, wrote that he would be a stapler.

From Seattle Times ● Jun. 29, 2023

I watched for a while as “Elvis” star Austin Butler drifted with slow, inexorable determination toward Cruise, who finally pulled the younger man toward him by clamping a hand on his shoulder like a stapler.

From New York Times ● Feb. 13, 2023

Or they’ll explain that they couldn’t find the box of printer paper they bought last month, or their hammer or stapler, so they bought another one.

From Washington Post ● Mar. 8, 2022

She takes the stapler and the letter and the rest of her things into her office.

From "The Namesake" by Jhumpa Lahiri

Related Words

• fastener
• staple gun