staple
Bread. Milk. Gasoline. Xboxes. What do these all have in common? They’re all a staple of most people’s consumption — basic products for which there will always be a demand.
Staple also has the broader more abstract sense of being anything that’s popular or necessary. A staple of the political scene is partisan bickering; a staple of Broadway theater is the musical revival. And let’s not forget another meaning — those handy little metal clasps that hold things together. Though most people wouldn’t consider a staple a staple.
-
material suitable for manufacture or use or finishing
-
synonyms:
raw material -
(usually plural) a necessary commodity for which demand is constant
-
synonyms:
basic-
type of:
-
commodity, good, trade good
articles of commerce
-
commodity, good, trade good
-
a natural fiber (raw cotton, wool, hemp, flax) that can be twisted to form yarn
“staple fibers vary widely in length”-
synonyms:
staple fiber, staple fibre-
type of:
-
natural fiber, natural fibre
fiber derived from plants or animals
-
natural fiber, natural fibre
-
necessary or important, especially regarding food or commodities
“wheat is a
staple crop”-
Synonyms:
-
essential
basic and fundamental
-
essential
-
a short U-shaped wire nail for securing cables
-
type of:
-
nail
a thin pointed piece of metal that is hammered into materials as a fastener
-
nail
-
paper fastener consisting of a short length of U-shaped wire that can fasten papers together
-
type of:
-
paper fastener
a fastener for holding a sheet of paper in place
-
paper fastener
-
secure or fasten with a staple or staples