staple
noun/ˈsteɪpl/
/ˈsteɪpl/
- a small piece of wire that is used in a device called a stapler and is pushed through pieces of paper and bent over at the ends in order to fasten the pieces of paper together
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- a small piece of metal in the shape of a U that is hit into wooden surfaces using a hammer, used especially for holding electrical wires in place
- a basic type of food that is used a lot
- Aid workers helped distribute corn, milk and other staples.
- something that is produced by a country and is important for its economy
- Rubber became the staple of the Malayan economy.
- staple (of something) a large or important part of something
- Royal gossip is a staple of the tabloid press.
Word Originnoun senses 1 to 2 Old English stapol, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch stapel ‘pillar’ (a sense reflected in English in early use). noun senses 3 to 5 Middle English (originally referring to a centre of trade): from Old French estaple ‘market’, from Middle Low German, Middle Dutch stapel ‘pillar, emporium’; related to the verb staple.
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