Background for staples

staples

/ˈsteɪplz/

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noun

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.

Examples :

""Medieval York acted as one of the English staples for wool, controlling its export to Europe." "

history commerce government economy business organization industry

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noun

(by extension) Place of supply; source.

Examples :

"For many students, the school cafeteria is the staples of cheap, readily available lunch. "

business commerce

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noun

The principal commodity produced in a town or region.

Examples :

"In that farming region, wheat and corn are the main staples of their economy. "

economy business agriculture

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noun

A basic or essential supply.

Examples :

"Rice is a staple in the diet of many cultures."

item thing business economy

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noun

A recurring topic or character.

Examples :

""Family dinners are a staple of our weekly routine." "

story character literature media culture entertainment

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noun

Short fiber, as of cotton, sheep’s wool, or the like, which can be spun into yarn or thread.

Examples :

"The manufacturer examined the staples of the raw cotton to determine its suitability for making fine cloth. "

material agriculture

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noun

Unmanufactured material; raw material.

Examples :

"The furniture factory needed a new shipment of wood, metal, and fabric staples to keep production going. "

material business commerce industry

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verb

To sort according to its staple.

Examples :

"to staple cotton"

stationery business

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noun

A wire fastener used to secure stacks of paper by penetrating all the sheets and curling around.

Examples :

"I used staples to hold the worksheets together for my students. "

stationery item writing

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noun

A wire fastener used to secure something else by penetrating and curling.

Examples :

"Can you believe they use staples to hold cars together these days?"

stationery item writing utensil

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noun

A U-shaped metal fastener, used to attach fence wire or other material to posts or structures.

Examples :

"The rancher used staples to attach the barbed wire to the fence-posts."

material item structure building

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noun

One of a set of U-shaped metal rods hammered into a structure, such as a piling or wharf, which serve as a ladder.

Examples :

"Fortunately, there were staples in the quay wall, and she was able to climb out of the water."

architecture nautical building material

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noun

A shaft, smaller and shorter than the principal one, joining different levels.

Examples :

"The carpenter used staples to connect the thinner shelf supports to the main cabinet frame. "

part structure building

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noun

Examples :

"The heavy boots left staples in the muddy ground after the rain. "

gap mark part thing

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noun

A district granted to an abbey.

Examples :

"The abbey's income largely depended on the rent collected from farms within its staples. "

property religion history

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noun

A post; prop; support

Examples :

"The old wooden fence was weak, so we added metal staples to support the leaning posts. "

structure material

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verb

To secure with a staple.

Examples :

"Please staples the papers together before you hand them in. "

stationery utensil technology