1. subst. (now historical) A town containing merchants who have exclusive right, under royal authority, to purchase or produce certain goods for export; also, the body of such merchants seen as a group.
2. subst. (by extension) Place of supply; source.
3. subst. The principal commodity produced in a town or region.
4. subst. A basic or essential supply.
Rice is a staple in the diet of many cultures.
5. subst. A recurring topic or character.
6. subst. Short fiber, as of cotton, sheep’s wool, or the like, which can be spun into yarn or thread.
Tow is flax with short staple.
7. subst. Unmanufactured material; raw material.
8. v. To sort according to its staple.
to staple cotton
9. adj. Relating to, or being market of staple for, commodities.
a staple town
10. adj. Established in commerce; occupying the markets; settled.
a staple trade
11. adj. Fit to be sold; marketable.
12. adj. Regularly produced or manufactured in large quantities; belonging to wholesale traffic; principal; chief.
13. subst. A wire fastener used to secure stacks of paper by penetrating all the sheets and curling around.
14. subst. A wire fastener used to secure something else by penetrating and curling.
Can you believe they use staples to hold cars together these days?
15. subst. A U-shaped metal fastener, used to attach fence wire or other material to posts or structures.
The rancher used staples to attach the barbed wire to the fence-posts.
16. subst. One of a set of U-shaped metal rods hammered into a structure, such as a piling or wharf, which serve as a ladder.
Fortunately, there were staples in the quay wall, and she was able to climb out of the water.
17. subst. (mining) A shaft, smaller and shorter than the principal one, joining different levels.
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