staple

staple¹

/stay"peuhl/, n., v., stapled, stapling.

n.

1. a short piece of wire bent so as to bind together papers, sections of a book, or the like, by driving the ends through the sheets and clinching them on the other side.

2. a similar, often U-shaped piece of wire or metal with pointed ends for driving into a surface to hold a hasp, hook, pin, bolt, wire, or the like.

v.t.

3. to secure or fasten by a staple or staples: to staple three sheets together.

[bef. 900; ME stapel orig., support, post, OE stapol; c. MD stapel foundation, G Stapel pile, ON stopull pillar]

staple²

/stay"peuhl/, n., adj., v., stapled, stapling.

n.

1. a principal raw material or commodity grown or manufactured in a locality.

2. a principal commodity in a mercantile field; goods in steady demand or of known or recognized quality.

3. a basic or necessary item of food: She bought flour, sugar, salt, and other staples.

4. a basic or principal item, thing, feature, element, or part: Cowboy dramas are a staple on television.

5. the fiber of wool, cotton, flax, rayon, etc., considered with reference to length and fineness.

6. Textiles. a standard length of textile fibers, representing the average of such fibers taken collectively, as short-staple or long-staple cotton.

7. Hist. a town or place appointed by royal authority as the seat of a body of merchants having the exclusive right of purchase of certain classes of goods for export.

adj.

8. chief or prominent among the products exported or produced by a country or district; chiefly or largely dealt in or consumed.

9. basic, chief, or principal: staple industries.

10. principally used: staple subjects of conversation.

v.t.

11. to sort or classify according to the staple or fiber, as wool.

[1375-1425; late ME: place where merchants have trading rights < MD stapel]

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