staple
/ˈsteɪ.pəl/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈsteɪ.pəl/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈstā-pəl/ (ame, mw) · /ˈsteɪpl/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈsteɪpl/ (ame, ipa)
staple — noun
- staplesingular
- staplesplural
1. a small fastener made of a thin U-shaped wire that goes through papers and gets
a small fastener made of a thin U-shaped wire that goes through papers and gets pressed flat to keep them joined.
Gabriel emptied the jammed stapler and refilled it with a fresh row of staples.
collocation: row of staples / strip of staples
Astrid found a stray staple in the report and carefully pried it out with her fingernail.
collocation: remove / pry out a staple
The teacher asked Joon to pass the box of staples from the supply cupboard.
Indra heard a soft click as the staple went through the stack of forms.
A single staple held the receipt to the invoice inside the envelope.
- fastener
broader term that includes paper clips, pins, and other devices
- staple pin
sometimes used in office supply catalogues, though less common in everyday speech
文法句型
a staple
staples (plural)
用法筆記
Countable noun. Staples are typically sold in strips or boxes designed to fit specific stapler models.
常見錯誤
2. a thick, U-shaped nail driven into a post or beam to keep fencing wire, netting,
a thick, U-shaped nail driven into a post or beam to keep fencing wire, netting, or other outdoor materials securely attached.
Joon hammered a heavy staple into the fence post to hold the wire in place.
verb pattern: hammer a staple into [surface]
The farmer used galvanized staples to attach the chicken wire to the wooden frame.
collocation: galvanized staple
Rust had eaten away the staples that once held the trellis to the wall.
Gabriel replaced the old staples on the boundary fence before winter arrived.
- fencing staple
more specific term used in agricultural supply catalogues
- U-nail
another name for the same kind of fastener in construction contexts
文法句型
a staple
hammer a staple into [surface]
用法筆記
Distinguish from noun sense 1 — these are much larger, made of thicker metal, and used in outdoor construction rather than office work.
常見錯誤
3. a product or food item that is bought and used regularly by many people because
a product or food item that is bought and used regularly by many people because it is necessary or forms an important part of daily life.
Rice has been a dietary staple in Southeast Asia for thousands of years.
collocation: dietary staple / staple food
Selim added beans and lentils to the shopping list as cheap staple foods for the week.
staple food (adjective + noun pattern)
During the storm, residents stocked up on staples like flour, oil, and canned tomatoes.
The local market sells all the basic staples at prices most families can afford.
Coffee is such a staple of office life that many workers cannot start the day without it.
- essential
emphasises necessity rather than regularity of use
- basic commodity
more formal; used in economics and trade
- necessity
focuses on the fact that people cannot do without it
- mainstay
suggests something that provides ongoing support or stability
- luxury
something desirable but not necessary
文法句型
a staple of [something]
staples (plural as category)
用法筆記
Often used in the plural form 'staples' when referring to a category of basic goods. Can also be used figuratively to describe something that is always present in a particular context ('a staple of modern education').
常見錯誤
4. the raw fiber of a natural material such as cotton or wool, measured by its leng
the raw fiber of a natural material such as cotton or wool, measured by its length and used to spin into yarn for making cloth.
The mill processes raw cotton staple into yarn for the textile industry.
collocation: cotton staple / wool staple
Wool staple length determines how fine or coarse the spun thread will be.
compound: staple length (technical term)
Sade learned to judge the quality of flax by examining its staple under a magnifying glass.
Long-staple cotton produces smoother, stronger fabric than its short-staple counterpart.
- fiber
broader term that includes synthetic materials
- raw material
general term for unprocessed manufacturing inputs
- strand
emphasises the individual thread-like structure
文法句型
[fiber] staple
long-staple / short-staple [fiber]
用法筆記
A specialised textile-industry term. 'Staple length' is a key quality measure — longer staple fibers produce finer, stronger yarn. The uncountable use ('cotton staple') refers to the fiber material in bulk.
常見錯誤
5. a U-shaped piece of metal that is driven into a wall or other surface to hold el
a U-shaped piece of metal that is driven into a wall or other surface to hold electrical cables, pipes, or ropes neatly in position.
Selim secured the network cable to the baseboard with plastic staples.
collocation: plastic staple / cable staple
Astrid ran the speaker wire along the wall and fixed it with cable staples every few inches.
collocation: cable staple
The electrician drove a staple over the wire to keep it from dangling loose.
Indra used a special tool to press the staples flat against the coaxial cable.
- cable clip
a plastic alternative that holds cables without piercing the wire
- U-staple
sometimes used in electrical trade catalogues
文法句型
a staple
drive a staple over [cable]
用法筆記
Distinguish from noun sense 2 — these staples are typically smaller, designed for indoor cable management rather than outdoor fencing, and may be plastic-coated to avoid damaging the wire insulation.
常見錯誤
staple — adjective
- staplepositive
- staplercomparative
- staplestsuperlative
1. forming the most important, necessary, or regularly used part of something; desc
forming the most important, necessary, or regularly used part of something; describing something that is always present or needed as a standard element.
Bread and milk are staple items in most household shopping baskets.
collocation: staple item / staple product
The cooking class covered staple techniques like chopping, sauteing, and roasting.
staple + technique / skill / method
Potatoes became a staple crop in Europe after being brought from South America.
For Anthony, a plain white T-shirt is a staple piece in his wardrobe.
The clinic provides staple medical services such as check-ups and vaccinations.
- optional
something you can choose to have or not
- non-essential
something not strictly needed
文法句型
staple + noun (no predicative use)
用法筆記
This adjective is used only attributively — it must come before the noun it modifies. 'A staple food' is correct, but 'This food is staple' is not. It cannot follow a linking verb.
常見錯誤
staple — verb
- staplepresent simple I / you / we / they
- staples3rd person singular
- stapling-ing form
- stapledpast simple
1. to attach or fix things together using a small piece of bent wire that is driven
to attach or fix things together using a small piece of bent wire that is driven through the material.
Sofia stapled the signed contract to the original letter before filing it.
pattern: staple [object] to [object]
Tanvi stapled the cover page to the report and placed it in the tray.
The invoice was stapled to the inside of the cardboard box for safekeeping.
Sade quickly stapled the fliers together before the meeting started.
Esme handed Arjun a stack of stapled forms and asked him to deliver them.
文法句型
staple [object] to [surface]
staple [object] together
be stapled to [object]
用法筆記
The past participle 'stapled' is commonly used as an adjective ('stapled documents'). The verb typically takes a direct object (what is fastened) and often a prepositional phrase indicating where ('to', 'together', 'onto').