staples

Noun

staple (countable and uncountable, plural staples)

1. (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.
   • The customs of Alexandria were very great, it having been the staple of the Indian trade.1727, John Arbuthnot, Tables of Ancient Coins, Weights and Measures. Explain'd and exemplify'd in several dissertations
2. (broadly) Place of supply; source.
   • Whitehall naturally became the chief staple of news. Whenever there was a rumour that anything important had happened or was about to happen, people hastened thither to obtain intelligence from the fountain head.1849–1861, Thomas Babington Macaulay, chapter III, in The History of England from the Accession of James the Second, volume (please specify |volume=I to V), London: Longman, Brown, Green, and...
3. The principal commodity produced in a town or region.
   • The old staple of coal is a declining traffic; and what remains tends to be hauled a shorter distance, as new power stations are sited closer to coalfields.1961 October, “Editorial: The importance of the "Roadrailer"”, in Trains Illustrated, page 577
4. A basic or essential supply.
   • Rice is a staple in the diet of many cultures.
5. A recurring topic, character, or item.
   • Lurid stories are a staple of tabloid journalism.
6. Short fiber, as of cotton, sheep’s wool, or the like, which can be spun into yarn or thread.
   • Tow is flax with short staple.

See all 24 meanings of staple