staple
staple Lexical Profile
staple Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A small piece of bent wire used to fasten sheets of paper together or secure other materials.
"She loaded a new strip of wire into the stapler before pressing the staple through the thick report."
A basic and important item of food that forms a significant part of a standard diet.
"Rice is a dietary staple for more than half of the global population."
A main or important element of something, such as a continuous or dominant part of a culture, routine, or industry.
"Denim jeans have become a staple of modern casual fashion."
• verb
To attach or secure objects together using a small wire fastener.
"He carefully stapled the invoices to their corresponding receipts for the accounting department."
• Rhymes for staple
Word Origin & Etymology
The word has two distinct etymologies: the sense of a 'commodity or main element' derives from Old French 'estaple' (market), while the sense of a 'wire fastener' comes from Old English 'stapol' (post or pillar), both ultimately of Germanic origin.
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.