staple

 Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English 5++朗文当代英语 5++LDOCE 5++朗文 5++

Related topics: Technology, Daily life, Food, Trade, Economics

sta·ple1 /ˈsteɪpəl/ ●●○ noun [countable]  1. TDa small piece of thin wire that is pushed into sheets of paper and bent over to hold them together 订书钉2. Ta small U-shaped piece of metal with pointed ends, used to hold something in place U 形钉3  DFa food that is needed and used all the time 基本食物；主食 staples like flour and rice 面粉和大米等主食4  BBTPEthe main product that is produced in a country 〔一国的〕主要产品 Bananas and sugar are the staples of Jamaica. 香蕉和糖是牙买加的主要产品。

Examples from the Corpus

staple• Tortillas are a staple of Mexican cooking.• Ice skating has long been a staple of ABC's sports programming.• It is a staple of the multilateral trading system, and is extended by the United States to all but a handful.• Rape is a staple in pagan myth, and killing still more commonplace.• Alternative medicine is now a staple of continuing education at Harvard University Medical School.• There are some assured visual touches, a staple of any Czech film.• The length of the cable then rests on the staples and can always be lifted off for painting and cleaning.staple2 verb [transitive]  FASTEN/DO UPto fasten two or more things together with a staple 用订书钉装订staple something together The handouts are all stapled together. 课堂讲义都是装订在一起的。staple something to something I stapled the order form to the invoice. 我把订单订在发票上。→ See Verb table

Examples from the Corpus

staple• We had to staple a polythene vapour barrier to the rafters of a pitched roof.• Select the ones that have held bottles, because they will be stapled at the bottom and are much stronger.• Industry magazines have thinned down so much with the collapse of internet advertising that they can now be stapled rather than bound.• As a schoolboy prank he leaned forward to staple the boy in front's jacket to his chair.• Finally, staple them together and flip through them to see them move.• There was a credit-card slip stapled to the receipt and I tucked both in my pocket for later inspection.staple3 adjective [only before noun]  1  MAINforming the greatest or most important part of something 主要的；最重要的 Oil is Nigeria’s staple export. 石油是尼日利亚的主要出口产品。 a staple ingredient of comedy 喜剧最重要的成分2  staple diet a) DFFOODthe food that you normally eat 主食staple diet of They live on a staple diet of rice and vegetables. 他们以大米和蔬菜为主食。 b) MAINsomething that is always being produced, seen, bought etc 经常制作[看到，购买等]的东西staple diet of television’s staple diet of soap operas and quiz shows 以肥皂剧和问答比赛为主的电视节目3  USUALLYused all the time 常用的，惯用的 Marty’s staple excuses 马蒂惯用的借口

Examples from the Corpus

staple• In Brazil, the black bean is a staple crop.From Longman Business Dictionarystaplesta‧ple1 /ˈsteɪpəl/ noun [countable]1OFFICEa small piece of thin wire that is pushed into sheets of paper and bent over to hold them together2a food that is needed and used all the timestaples like flour and rice3ECONOMICS the main product that is produced in a countryBananas and sugar are the staples of Jamaica.4COMMERCE a standard or common productThe Kiwi fruit quickly became a supermarket staple in the expanding section of exotic fruits.staplestaple2 verb [transitive] to fasten things, especially sheets of paper, together with a stapleHe stapled a batch of papers together.→ See Verb tablestaplestaple3 adjective [only before a noun] a staple food, product, activity etc is one that is basic, most important, or standardOil is Nigeria’s staple export.These garments are now becoming a staple product of the company.Origin staple1 1. Old English stapol “post”2. . (1300-1400) Middle Dutch stapel “place of trade”

sta·ple1 nounstaple2 verbstaple3 adjectiveChineseSyllable  

wire of small piece that a thin Corpus Business

staple

I

sta‧ple¹ /ˈsteɪpəl/ noun [countable]1. a small piece of thin wire that is pushed into sheets of paper and bent over to hold them together
2. a small U-shaped piece of metal with pointed ends, used to hold something in place
3. a food that is needed and used all the time:
    staples like flour and rice
4. the main product that is produced in a country:
    Bananas and sugar are the staples of Jamaica.

II

staple² verb [transitive]
to fasten two or more things together with a staple
    staple something together
    The handouts are all stapled together.
    staple something to something
    I stapled the order form to the invoice.
     

THESAURUS

   ▪ fasten to join together the two sides of a piece of clothing, bag, belt etc: He fastened the necklace behind her neck.
   ▪ attach to fasten something firmly to another object or surface, using screws, nails, tape, glue etc: The boards were attached with screws. | The prisoner was attached to the wall with chains.
   ▪ join to connect or fasten things together: Join the pieces using a strong glue
   ▪ glue to join things together using glue: Glue the fabric to the white card.
   ▪ tape to fasten something using tape: The students' name cards were taped to the table.
   ▪ staple to fasten something using staples (=a small piece of wire that is pressed through paper using a special machine): Don't staple your resumé to your cover letter.
   ▪ clip to fasten things together using a clip (=a small metal object): A photo was clipped to the letter.
   ▪ tie to fasten a tie, shoelaces etc by making a knot: Don't forget to tie your shoelaces!
   ▪ do something up especially British English to fasten a piece of clothing or the buttons etc on it: The teacher doesn't have time to do up every child's coat. | Let me do it up for you.
   ▪ button (up) to fasten a shirt, coat etc with buttons: His shirt was buttoned right to the top.
   ▪ zip (up) to fasten a piece of clothing, a bag etc with a zip: Zip up your jacket, it's cold.
   ▪ buckle (up) to fasten a seat belt, belt, shoe etc that has a buckle (=small metal object that fits through a hole in a strap): The little girl struggled to buckle her shoes.
   ▪ unfasten/untie/undo/unbutton/unzip to open something that is fastened: Do not unfasten your seatbelt until the car has stopped completely.

III

staple³ adjective [only before noun]
1. forming the greatest or most important part of something:
    Oil is Nigeria’s staple export.
    a staple ingredient of comedy
2. staple diet
  a. the food that you normally eat
    staple diet of
    They live on a staple diet of rice and vegetables.
  b. something that is always being produced, seen, bought etc
    staple diet of
    television’s staple diet of soap operas and quiz shows
3. used all the time:
    Marty’s staple excuses