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staple

n. · adj.
US //ˈsteɪpəɫ// UK //stˈeɪpəl// sta·ple
  1. 1 paper fastener (n.)
    B1 Intermediate

    a small, U-shaped piece of wire used to hold sheets of paper together.

    a small, two-pronged wire fastener driven through sheets of paper and folded over to secure them.

    Example

    She used a staple to keep the three pages of the report together.

    Example

    The clerk removed the rusty staple from the document before scanning the pages into the digital archive.
  2. 2 essential item (n.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate

    a basic food or product that people use or buy regularly.

    a principal commodity or essential item of consumption within a population or economy.

    Example

    Rice and beans are a staple of the local diet in many countries.

    Example

    During the economic crisis, the price of bread and other dietary staples rose sharply, affecting the most vulnerable households.
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  1. 3 textile fiber (n.)
    C2 Proficiency Technical

    the length and quality of a natural fiber like wool or cotton.

    the length and quality of individual fibers of wool, cotton, or flax, which determines the grade of the material.

    Example

    The wool has a long staple, which makes it very easy to spin into yarn.

    Example

    The merchant inspected the cotton's staple length to determine if it was suitable for high-end garment manufacturing.
  2. 4 mining shaft (n.)
    C2 Proficiency Technical Science

    a small shaft that connects different levels in a mine.

    a secondary shaft, typically shorter than the main shaft, used to connect different working levels within a mine.

    Example

    The miners used the staple to move equipment between the two tunnels.

    Example

    Engineers reinforced the staple to ensure safe transit between the primary vein and the lower drainage gallery.
  3. 5 main or principal (adj.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate

    describing something that is a main part of something else.

    constituting a main or principal element of a system, diet, or industry.

    Example

    Action movies are a staple part of the summer cinema schedule.

    Example

    The staple industries of the region, namely coal and steel, faced significant decline during the late twentieth century.
Etymology 1

From Middle English staple, from Anglo-Norman estaple, Old French estaple (“market, (trading) post”), from Late Latin stapula, from Frankish stapul, ultimately from Proto-Germanic stapulaz (“post”), from Proto-Indo-European *stebʰ- (“post, stem”). Compare staff. Doublet of étape and etymology 2.

Etymology 2

From Middle English stapel (“staple, pillar, post”), from Old English stapol (“post, pillar”), from Proto-West Germanic stapul, from Proto-Germanic stapulaz, from Proto-Indo-European *stebʰ- (“post, stem”). See also Old English steppan (“to step”) and Old French estaple (“post”). Consider also stapes (“stirrup”), from Latin. Doublet of étape and etymology 1.

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