staple¹ /stāˈpl/

1. A U-shaped rod or wire for driving into a wall, post, etc as a fastening
2. A similarly shaped piece of wire that is driven through sheets of paper and compressed, to fasten them together
3. The curved bar, etc that passes through the slot of a hasp, receives a bolt, etc
4. The metallic tube to which the reed is fastened in the oboe, etc

To fasten with a staple

stāˈpler noun

An instrument for (dispensing and) inserting staples into papers, etc

staple gun noun

A hand-held tool that propels staples into a wall, post etc

stapling machine noun

A machine that stitches paper with wire

staple² /stāˈpl/

1. A leading commodity or raw material
2. A main element (as of diet, reading, conversation)
3. Unmanufactured wool or other raw material
4. Textile fibre, or its length and quality
5. A settled mart or market (medieval hist)

1. Constituting a staple
2. Leading, main

To grade (wool, cotton, etc) according to staple

stāˈpler noun

1. A merchant of a staple
2. A person who grades and deals in wool

merchant of the staple

A member of a medieval association of merchants privileged to trade in a staple commodity, esp wool, at the staple town (or staple towns) appointed by the king

• faintest
• faint-heart
• faint-hearted
• faint-heartedly
• faint-heartedness
• faint-hearts
• faintier
• faintiest
• fainting
• faintings
• faintish
• faintishness
• faintishnesses
• faintly
• faintness
• faintnesses
• faints
• fainty
• fainéance
• fainéances
• fainéant
• fainéantise
• fainéantises
• fair
• fair-and-square