staple /ˈsteɪ.pəl/noun 17adjective 4verb 2forms 3 noun17 •The principal commodity produced in a town or region.The old staple of coal is a declining traffic; and what remains tends to be hauled a shorter distance, as new power stations are sited closer to coalfields. — 1961 •A basic or essential supply.Rice is a staple in the diet of many cultures. •A recurring topic, character, or item.Lurid stories are a staple of tabloid journalism. •Any of several types of fastener comprising a bent piece of wire. •A wire fastener, made of thin wire, used to secure stacks of paper by penetrating all the sheets and curling around.They stapled the documents with an office stapler, putting a staple in the top left corner of each one. •A wire fastener, in any of various sizes, used to secure something else by penetrating and curling.They stapled the housewrap with a staple gun firing large staples. •A U-shaped wire fastener, made of thick wire, used to attach fence wire or other material to posts or structures.The rancher used staples to attach the barbed wire to the fence posts. •A metal loop used to fasten doors in conjunction with a hasp and a padlock. •Short fiber, as of cotton, sheep’s wool, or the like, which can be spun into yarn or thread.Tow is flax with short staple. •Unmanufactured material; raw material. •Place of supply; source. •(historical) A town containing merchants who have exclusive right, under royal authority, to purchase or produce certain goods for export; also, the body of such merchants seen as a group.The customs of Alexandria were very great, it having been the staple of the Indian trade. — 1727 •One of a set of U-shaped metal rods hammered into a structure, such as a piling or wharf, which serve as a ladder.Fortunately, there were staples in the quay wall, and she was able to climb out of the water. •A shaft, smaller and shorter than the principal one, joining different levels. •A small pit. •A district granted to an abbey.[Henry II] also granted liberty of coyning to certain Cities and Abbies, allowing them one staple and two puncheons at a rate, with certain restrictions. — 1605 •(no longer used) A post; prop; support adjective4 •Established in commerce; occupying the markets; settled. •Regularly produced or manufactured in large quantities; belonging to wholesale traffic; principal; chief. •Relating to, or being market of staple for, commodities. •Fit to be sold; marketable. verb2 •To secure with a staple. •To sort according to its staple. formsstapled · stapling · staples
