noun

1. the chief commodity, or any of the most important commodities, made, grown, or sold in a particular place, region, country, etc.
2. a chief item, part, material, or element in anything
3. any chief item of trade, regularly stocked and in constant demand flour, sugar, and salt are staples
4. the fiber of cotton, wool, flax, etc., with reference to length and fineness

Etymology: ME stapel < OFr estaple < MDu stapel, mart, emporium, post, orig. support, akin to staple

adjective

1. regularly found on the market or in stock as a result of a constant demand
2. produced, consumed, or exported regularly and in quantity
3. most important; leading; principal staple industries

transitive verb stapled -·pled, stapling -·pling

noun

1. a -shaped piece of metal with sharp, pointed ends, driven into a surface to keep a hook, hasp, wire, etc. firmly in place
2. a similar piece of thin wire driven through papers and clinched over as a binding

Etymology: ME stapel < OE stapol, post, pillar, akin to Ger stapel, stake, beam: for IE base see stamp

transitive verb stapled -·pled, stapling -·pling