A device used to fasten papers together by driving metal staples through them.
From 'staple,' which originally meant the main product of a region - like wool was England's staple export. This came from Old French 'estaple' meaning 'market' or 'depot.' The U-shaped metal fastener was called a staple because it resembled the U-shaped metal loops (also called staples) used to secure doors and gates since medieval times.
Your office stapler is named after medieval door hardware! Those U-shaped metal pieces that held gates shut were called staples, and when someone invented U-shaped paper fasteners, they borrowed the name from centuries-old door security technology.
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