A staple is a basic or main item that is used or needed regularly, such as rice in a diet or paper in an office. It can also mean a small metal clip used to fasten papers together.
Two different words merged: one from Old English “stapol” meaning “post, pillar,” and another from Middle Low German “stapel” meaning “market, warehouse.” The idea of something central or main led to the modern sense of an essential item.
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