ENGLISH DICTIONARY

Staple

Definition, Meaning & Examples

Pronunciation /ˈsteɪ.pəl/ · Part of speech noun

Quick meaning: Staple is a noun meaning (by extension) Place of supply; source.

Meaning

(by extension) Place of supply; source.

More Meanings

  1. The principal commodity produced in a town or region.
  2. A basic or essential supply.
  3. A recurring topic, character, or item.
  4. Short fiber, as of cotton, sheep’s wool, or the like, which can be spun into yarn or thread.
  5. Unmanufactured material; raw material.
  6. (transitive) To sort according to its staple.
  7. (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.

Example Sentences

Rice is a staple in the diet of many cultures.
Lurid stories are a staple of tabloid journalism.
The customs of Alexandria were very great, it having been the staple of the Indian trade.
For the increase of trade and the encouragement of the worthy burgesses of Woodstock, her majesty was minded to erect the town into a staple for wool.

Word Forms

Synonyms for staple

Depending on context, synonyms include essential, basic.

Antonyms for staple

Common opposites include unstaple.

Related Words

Related dictionary entries include basic, essential, commodity, base, basis, fundamental.

Related Dictionary Tools

Sources & Attribution

FreeDictionaryAPI.com / Wiktionary · Original source · CC BY-SA 4.0

Dictionary data is provided by FreeDictionaryAPI.com and sourced from Wiktionary under its stated license.