staple
STAY-puhl
Staple (noun) means a basic food or item that is used regularly and is essential to daily life. Example: “Rice is a staple in many Asian households.”
noun
1
A basic food or item that is used regularly and is essential to daily life.
"Rice is a staple in many Asian households."
"Bread and milk are staples on most people's shopping lists."
"Potatoes were once the staple of the family's evening meals."
2
A small U-shaped piece of wire pressed through paper (or into wood or a wall) to hold things together.
"She used a staple to hold the report pages together."
"A tiny staple had worked loose from the wall and fallen onto the floor."
"The carpenter fixed the cable to the wooden beam with a metal staple."
3
Something that appears regularly or is expected as a standard part of something.
"Car chases are a staple of action movies."
"Sad songs about rain are a staple of the singer's albums."
"Fireworks have become a staple of our summer festival every year."
verb
1
To fasten something with a staple.
"Could you staple these forms together before you file them?"
"He stapled the receipt to the back of the form."
"I always staple my homework pages in the top corner."
adj
1
Main or principal; regularly used or produced.
"Wheat is the staple crop of the region."
"Rice is the staple food for millions of families around the world."
"Fish was the staple diet of the island's villagers."
How to use staple
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishEither something basic and essential (a staple food), or the small wire fastener used with a stapler.
Common mistake
Don't confuse the verb "staple" (to fasten with a staple) with "stable" (steady, or a building for horses) — they're spelled and pronounced quite differently but get typo-confused often.
Easily confused with
Common pairings
staple food
staple diet
staple the papers
a staple of
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Word forms
- Plural
- staples
- Third person singular
- staples
- Past tense
- stapled
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
Rice is a _____ in many Asian households.
Etymology
From Old French estaple ("market" or "trading post"), from a Germanic root meaning "post" or "pillar" — the same root that gives us "staff." The fastener sense developed later from the same word for a bent metal post or clasp.
Related words
Rhymes for staple
See all rhymes for staple →Frequently asked questions
What does “staple” mean?
The word “staple” means a basic food or item that is used regularly and is essential to daily life. In plain terms, either something basic and essential (a staple food), or the small wire fastener used with a stapler.
How do you pronounce “staple”?
“Staple” is pronounced STAY-puhl (/ˈsteɪ.pəl/ in IPA).
How do you use “staple” in a sentence?
Here is “staple” used in a sentence: “Rice is a staple in many Asian households.”
What part of speech is “staple”?
Depending on how it is used, “staple” can be a noun, a verb and an adjective.
Where does the word “staple” come from?
The word “staple” comes from Old French.
Is “staple” a common word?
“Staple” is an uncommon word in modern English, usually learned at around the C1 level.
How many meanings does “staple” have?
“Staple” has 5 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a basic food or item that is used regularly and is essential to daily life.
What is the difference between a staple food and a staple item?
A staple food refers specifically to a basic food used regularly and essential to daily life, such as rice or bread, while a staple item is a broader term for anything, food or otherwise, that appears regularly or is expected as a standard part of a category. Both senses share the core idea of something basic and consistently relied upon.
What is the difference between staple as a noun and staple as a verb?
As a noun, a staple is either a small U-shaped piece of wire used to fasten paper, or a basic, regularly used item; as a verb, to staple means to fasten something using one of those small wire pieces. Context makes clear which sense is meant, since the verb always involves the act of fastening.
What does it mean to call something a staple of a diet or wardrobe?
Calling something a staple of a diet or wardrobe means it is a basic, essential item that appears regularly and is relied upon as a standard part of that category. A staple carries the sense of dependability and frequent use rather than novelty.
