Staple
WordNet
adjective
(1) Necessary foods or commodities
"Wheat is a staple crop"
noun
(2) (usually plural) a necessary commodity for which demand is constant
(3) Paper fastener consisting of a short length of U-shaped wire that can fasten papers together
(4) A short U-shaped wire nail for securing cables
(5) Material suitable for manufacture or use or finishing
(6) A natural fiber (raw cotton, wool, hemp, flax) that can be twisted to form yarn
"Staple fibers vary widely in length"
verb
(7) Secure or fasten with a staple or staples
"Staple the papers together"
WiktionaryText
Etymology 1
from stapel or estaple, of origin, from stapol or stapel. Akin to stapol "market, court"
Noun
Etymology 2
From stapol.
Noun
- A wire fastener used to secure stacks of paper by penetrating all the sheets and curling around.
- A wire fastener used to secure something else by penetrating and curling.
- Can you believe they use staples to hold cars together these days?
- A U-shaped metal fastener, 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.
- 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.