# staple

/ˈsteɪpəɫ/ (US) · /stˈeɪpəl/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/staple
Updated: 2026-06-20

## Senses

### 1. paper fastener

noun · CEFR B1

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

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

- She used a staple to keep the three pages of the report together.
- The clerk removed the rusty staple from the document before scanning the pages into the digital archive.

### 2. essential item

noun · CEFR B2

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

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

- Rice and beans are a staple of the local diet in many countries.
- During the economic crisis, the price of bread and other dietary staples rose sharply, affecting the most vulnerable households.

### 3. textile fiber

noun · CEFR C2 · Technical

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

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

- The wool has a long staple, which makes it very easy to spin into yarn.
- The merchant inspected the cotton's staple length to determine if it was suitable for high-end garment manufacturing.

### 4. mining shaft

noun · CEFR C2 · Technical

a small shaft that connects different levels in a mine.

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

- The miners used the staple to move equipment between the two tunnels.
- Engineers reinforced the staple to ensure safe transit between the primary vein and the lower drainage gallery.

### 6. main or principal

adjective · CEFR B2

describing something that is a main part of something else.

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

- Action movies are a staple part of the summer cinema schedule.
- The staple industries of the region, namely coal and steel, faced significant decline during the late twentieth century.

## Examples

- Rice is a staple food for millions of people.
- The office manager ordered a new box of staples to keep the legal documents organized.
- While wheat remains a dietary staple in the region, local farmers are increasingly diversifying their crops to protect against the economic impact of a single failed harvest.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.