staple

• POS: Adjective, Noun, Verb (transitive)
• HYPHEN: sta=ple

CIDE DICTIONARY

staple, n. [AS. stapul, stapol, stapel, a step, a prop, post, table, fr. stapan to step, go, raise; akin to D. stapel a pile, stocks, emporium, G. stapela heap, mart, stake, staffel step of a ladder, Sw. stapel, Dan. stabel, and E. step; cf. OF. estaple a mart, F. étape. See Step.].

•  A settled mart; an emporium; a city or town to which merchants brought commodities for sale or exportation in bulk; a place for wholesale traffic.  [1913 Webster]

  " In England, formerly, the king's staple was established in certain ports or towns, and certain goods could not be exported without being first brought to these places to be rated and charged with the duty payable to the king or the public. The principal commodities on which customs were levied were wool, skins, and leather; and these were originally the staple commodities."  [1913 Webster]

  "The customs of Alexandria were very great, it having been the staple of the Indian trade."  [1913 Webster]

  "For the increase of trade and the encouragement of the worthy burgesses of Woodstock, her majesty was minded to erect the town into a staple for wool."  [1913 Webster]
•  Hence: Place of supply; source; fountain head.  [1913 Webster]

  "Whitehall naturally became the chief staple of news. Whenever there was a rumor that any thing important had happened or was about to happen, people hastened thither to obtain intelligence from the fountain head."  [1913 Webster]
•  The principal commodity of traffic in a market; a principal commodity or production of a country or district; as, wheat, maize, and cotton are great staples of the United States.  [1913 Webster]

  "We should now say, Cotton is the great staple, that is, the established merchandise, of Manchester."  [1913 Webster]
•  The principal constituent in anything; chief item.  [1913 Webster]
•  Unmanufactured material; raw material.  [1913 Webster]
•  The fiber of wool, cotton, flax, or the like; as, a coarse staple; a fine staple; a long or short staple.  [1913 Webster]
•  A loop of metal such as iron, or a bar or wire, bent and formed with two points to be driven into wood, to hold a hook, pin, or the like.  [1913 Webster]
•  A small loop of metal such as steel, bent into a U-shape with the points sharpened, used to fasten sheets of paper together by driving the staple{8} through the stacked sheets and into a formed receptacle which curls the ends in and backward, thus holding the papers firmly together; also, a similar, slightly larger such fastener which may be driven into wood to fasten objects to a wooden backing.  [1913 Webster]
•  A shaft, smaller and shorter than the principal one, joining different levels.  [1913 Webster]
•  A district granted to an abbey.  Camden.  [1913 Webster]

staple, a. 

•  Pertaining to, or being a market or staple for, commodities; as, a staple town.  [1913 Webster]
•  Established in commerce; occupying the markets; settled; as, a staple trade.  Dryden.  [1913 Webster]
•  Fit to be sold; marketable.  Swift.  [1913 Webster]
•  Regularly produced or manufactured in large quantities; belonging to wholesale traffic; principal; chief.  [1913 Webster]

  "Wool, the great staple commodity of England."  [1913 Webster]

staple, v. t. 

•  To sort according to its staple; as, to staple cotton.  [1913 Webster]
•  To fasten together with a staple{9} or staples; as, to staple a check to a letter.  [PJC]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

staple, n. & v.
--n. a U-shaped metal bar or piece of wire with pointed ends for driving into, securing, or fastening together various materials or for driving through and clenching papers, netting, electric wire, etc.
--v.tr. provide or fasten with a staple.

Idiom

staple gun a hand-held device for driving in staples.

Derivative

stapler n.

staple, n., adj., & v.
--n.
1 the principal or an important article of commerce (the staples of British Industry).
2 the chief element or a main component, e.g. of a diet.
3 a raw material.
4 the fibre of cotton or wool etc. as determining its quality (cotton of fine staple).
--adj.
1 main or principal (staple commodities).
2 important as a product or an export.
--v.tr. sort or classify (wool etc.) according to fibre.

Etymology

ME f. OF estaple market f. MLG, MDu. stapel market (as STAPLE(1))

THESAURUS

staple

anchored, article, article of commerce, article of merchandise, articulate, auto show, basic, basics, batten, batten down, bazaar, boat show, body, bolt, bonanza, buckle, bulk, butt, button, catalog goods, chief, clasp, cleat, clip, commercial complex, commodities, commodity, consumer goods, consumer items, conventional, core, cornucopia, corpus, critical, customary, dovetail, drug, effects, elementary, emporium, essential, essentials, exposition, eye, fair, fastened, feature, fixed, flea fair, flea market, font, fount, fountain, fundamental, fundamentals, gold mine, goods, goods for sale, habitual, hasp, hinge, hitch, hook, indispensable, inventory, item, jam, job lot, joint, latch, lead item, leader, line, line of goods, lock, lode, loss leader, mail-order goods, main, market, market overt, marketplace, mart, mass, material resources, materials, materiel, merchandise, mine, miter, mortise, nail, necessary, necessities, normal, open market, ordinary, peg, pin, plaza, prevailing, primary, principal, product, quarry, rabbet, raw material, required, requisite, resource, rialto, ring, rivet, riveted, scarf, screw, seconds, set, settled, sew, shopping center, shopping mall, shopping plaza, show, sideline, skewer, snap, source, source of supply, special, spring, standard, standard article, staple item, staples, stated, stick, stitch, stock, stock-in-trade, store, street market, stuff, substance, substances, supply, tack, toggle, trade fair, universal, usual, vein, vendible, vendibles, vital, ware, wares, wedge, well, wellspring, zipper

ROGET THESAURUS

staple

Materials

N materials, material, raw material, stuff, stock, staple, adobe, brown stone, chinking, clapboard, daubing, puncheon, shake, shingle, bricks and mortar, metal, stone, clay, brick crockery, compo, composition, concrete, reinforced concrete, cement, wood, ore, timber, materials, supplies, munition, fuel, grist, household stuff pabulum, ammunition, contingents, relay, reinforcement, reenforcement, baggage, means, calico, cambric, cashmere, raw, wooden, adobe.

Connection

N connection, vinculum, link, connective, connection, junction, bond of union, copula, hyphen, intermedium, bracket, bridge, stepping-stone, isthmus, bond, tendon, tendril, fiber, cord, cordage, riband, ribbon, rope, guy, cable, line, halser, hawser, painter, moorings, wire, chain, string, fastener, fastening, tie, ligament, ligature, strap, tackle, rigging, standing rigging, running rigging, traces, harness, yoke, band ribband, bandage, brace, roller, fillet, inkle, with, withe, withy, thong, braid, girder, tiebeam, girth, girdle, cestus, garter, halter, noose, lasso, surcingle, knot, running knot, cabestro, cinch, lariat, legadero, oxreim, suspenders, pin, corking pin, nail, brad, tack, skewer, staple, corrugated fastener, clamp, U-clamp, C-clamp, cramp, cramp iron, ratchet, detent, larigo, pawl, terret, treenail, screw, button, buckle, clasp, hasp, hinge, hank, catch, latch, bolt, latchet, tag, tooth, hook, hook and eye, lock, holdfast, padlock, rivet, anchor, grappling iron, trennel, stake, post, cement, glue, gum, paste, size, wafer, solder, lute, putty, birdlime, mortar, stucco, plaster, grout, viscum, shackle, rein, prop.

Whole

N whole, totality, integrity, totalness, entirety, ensemble, collectiveness, unity, completeness, indivisibility, indiscerptibility, integration, embodiment, integer, all, the whole, total, aggregate, one and all, gross amount, sum, sum total, tout ensemble, length and breadth of, Alpha and Omega, be all and end all, complex, complexus, lock stock and barrel, bulk, mass, lump, tissue, staple, body, compages, trunk, torso, bole, hull, hulk, skeleton greater part, major part, best part, principal part, main part, essential part, lion's share, Benjamin's mess, the long and the short, nearly, all, almost all, whole, total, integral, entire, complete, one, individual, unbroken, intact, uncut, undivided, unsevered, unclipped, uncropped, unshorn, seamless, undiminished, undemolished, undissolved, undestroyed, unbruised, indivisible, indissoluble, indissolvable, indiscerptible, wholesale, sweeping, comprehensive, wholly, altogether, totally, entirely, all, all in all, as a whole, wholesale, in a body, collectively, all put together, in the aggregate, in the lump, in the mass, in the gross, in the main, in the long run, en masse, as a body, on the whole, bodily, en bloc, in extenso, throughout, every inch, substantially, tout bien ou rien.

Barter

N barter, exchange, scorse, truck system, interchange, a Roland for an Oliver, quid pro quo, commutation, composition, Indian gift, trade, commerce, mercature, buying and selling, bargain and sale, traffic, business, nundination, custom, shopping, commercial enterprise, speculation, jobbing, stockjobbing, agiotage, brokery, deal, dealing, transaction, negotiation, bargain, free trade, commercial, mercantile, trading, interchangeable, marketable, staple, in the market, for sale, wholesale, retail, across the counter, cambio non e furto.

Mart

N mart, market, marketplace, fair, bazaar, staple, exchange, change, bourse, hall, guildhall, tollbooth, customhouse, Tattersall's, stall, booth, stand, newsstand, cart, wagon, wharf, office, chambers, countinghouse, bureau, counter, compter, shop, emporium, establishment, store, department store, general store, five and ten, variety store, co-op, finding store, grindery warehouse, grocery, supermarket, candy store, sweet shop, confectionery, bakery, greengrocer, delicatessen, bakeshop, butcher shop, fish store, farmers' market, mom and pop store, dairy, health food store, tobacco shop, tobacco store, tobacconists, cigar store, hardware store, jewelry shop, bookstore, liquor store, gun shop, rod and reel shop, furniture store, drugstore, chemist's, florist, flower shop, shoe store, stationer, stationer's, electronics shop, telephone store, music store, record shop, fur store, sporting goods store, video store, video rental store, lumber store, lumber yard, home improvements store, home improvement center, gas station, auto repair shop, auto dealer, used car dealer, mall, suburban mall, commons, pedestrian mall, shopping street, surplus store, army-navy surplus store, auction, flea market, yard sale, garage sale, pawn shop, antiques store, second-hand store, second time around shop, thrift shop, warehouse, wareroom, depot, interposit, entrepot, market-overt, real-estate broker, vending machine.

Pendency

N pendency, dependency, suspension, hanging, pedicel, pedicle, peduncle, tail, train, flap, skirt, pigtail, pony tail, pendulum, hangnail peg, knob, button, hook, nail, stud, ring, staple, tenterhook, fastening, spar, horse, pendent, pendulous, pensile, hanging, beetling, jutting over, overhanging, projecting, dependent, suspended, loose, flowing, having a peduncle, pedunculate, tailed, caudate.

Texture

N texture, structure (form), organization, anatomy, frame, mold, fabric, construction, framework, carcass, architecture, stratification, cleavage, substance, stuff, compages, parenchyma, constitution, staple, organism, organography, osteology, myology, splanchnology, neurology, angiography, adeology, angiography, adenography, texture, surface texture, intertexture, contexture, tissue, grain, web, surface, warp and woof, warp and weft, tooth, nap, flatness (smoothness), fineness of grain, coarseness of grain, dry goods, silk, satin, muslin, burlap, histology, structural, organic, anatomic, anatomical, textural, textile, fine grained, coarse grained, fine, delicate, subtile, gossamery, filmy, silky, satiny, coarse, homespun, rough, gritty, smooth, smooth as silk, smooth as satin.