staple

CEFRB1

/ˈsteɪ.pəl/

noun

Türkçe translations

Translating…

In plain English

  1. 01

    noun

    A basic food or item used regularly.

  2. 02

    noun

    Extra detail

    Place of supply; source.

Examples

  • Instant noodles are a staple among college students.

  • Rice is one of those staple commodities.

At a glance

Sits at B1 on the CEFR scale

Senses
5
Parts of speech
1
Citations
5

Deep Dive

noun

Extra meanings

  1. The principal commodity produced in a town or region.

  2. 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.

  3. A basic or essential supply.

More examples

In context

  • Lurid stories are a staple of tabloid journalism.

  • Rice is a staple in the diet of many cultures.

  • Tow is flax with short staple.

Quick test

Two questions on this entry. Nothing is scored.

Question 1 · Quick check

In many cultures, rice is a blank food, while in others it is a luxury.

Practise this properly in the app, where the word comes back before you forget it.

Nearby

Origin

noun

From Middle English staple, from Anglo-Norman estaple, Old French estaple (“market, (trading) post”), from Late Latin stapula, from Frankish *stapul, ultimately from Proto-Germanic *stapulaz (“post”), from Proto-Indo-European *stebʰ- (“post, stem”). Compare staff. Doublet of étape and etymology 2.