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staple

/ˈsteɪpəl/
/ˈsteɪpəl/
IPA guide

Other forms: staples; stapled; stapling

Bread. Milk. Gasoline. Xboxes. What do these all have in common? They're all a staple of most people's consumption — basic products for which there will always be a demand.

Staple also has the broader more abstract sense of being anything that's popular or necessary. A staple of the political scene is partisan bickering; a staple of Broadway theater is the musical revival. And let's not forget another meaning — those handy little metal clasps that hold things together. Though most people wouldn't consider a staple a staple.

Definitions of staple
  1. noun
    material suitable for manufacture or use or finishing
    synonyms: raw material
    see moresee less
    types:
    feedstock
    the raw material that is required for some industrial process
    type of:
    material, stuff
    the tangible substance that goes into the makeup of a physical object
  2. noun
    (usually plural) a necessary commodity for which demand is constant
    synonyms: basic
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    type of:
    commodity, good, trade good
    articles of commerce
  3. noun
    a natural fiber (raw cotton, wool, hemp, flax) that can be twisted to form yarn
    staple fibers vary widely in length”
    see moresee less
    type of:
    natural fiber, natural fibre
    fiber derived from plants or animals
  4. adjective
    necessary or important, especially regarding food or commodities
    “wheat is a staple crop”
    synonyms:
    essential
    basic and fundamental
  5. noun
    a short U-shaped wire nail for securing cables
    see moresee less
    type of:
    nail
    a thin pointed piece of metal that is hammered into materials as a fastener
  6. noun
    paper fastener consisting of a short length of U-shaped wire that can fasten papers together
    see moresee less
    type of:
    paper fastener
    a fastener for holding a sheet of paper in place
  7. verb
    secure or fasten with a staple or staples
    staple the papers together”
    see moresee less
    antonyms:
    unstaple
    take the staples off
    type of:
    fasten, fix, secure
    cause to be firmly attached
Pronunciation
US
/ˈsteɪpəl/
UK
/ˈsteɪpəl/
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