Staple Definition

stāpəl
stapled, staples, stapling
noun
staples
The chief commodity, or any of the most important commodities, made, grown, or sold in a particular place, region, country, etc.
Webster's New World
Any chief item of trade, regularly stocked and in constant demand.
Flour, sugar, and salt are staples.
Webster's New World
A basic dietary item, such as flour, rice, or corn.
American Heritage Medicine
A chief item, part, material, or element in anything.
Webster's New World
The fiber of cotton, wool, flax, etc., with reference to length and fineness.
Webster's New World
Synonyms:
adjective
Regularly found on the market or in stock as a result of a constant demand.
Webster's New World
Produced, consumed, or exported regularly and in quantity.
Webster's New World
Most important; leading; principal.
Staple industries.
Webster's New World
Relating to, or being market of staple for, commodities.
A staple town.
Wiktionary
Established in commerce; occupying the markets; settled.
A staple trade.
Wiktionary
verb
stapled, staples, stapling
To grade (fibers) according to length and fineness.
American Heritage
To sort (wool, cotton, etc.) according to the nature of its staple.
Webster's New World
To fasten or bind with a staple or staples.
Webster's New World
Antonyms:

Other Word Forms of Staple

Noun

Singular:
staple
Plural:
staples

Origin of Staple

  • Probably from Middle English staple, pillar, post, from Old English stapol (“post, pillar"). See also Old English steppan (“to step") and Old French estaple (“post"). Consider also stapes (“stirrup"), from Latin.

    From Wiktionary

  • From Anglo-Norman estaple, Old French estaple (“market, (trading) post"), ultimately from Proto-Germanic *stapulaz, from Proto-Indo-European *stebÊ°- (“post, stem"). Compare staff.

    From Wiktionary

  • Middle English official market for purchase of export goods from Anglo-Norman estaple perhaps from Middle Dutch stāpel heap, emporium

    From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition

  • Middle English from Old English stapol post, pillar

    From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition

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