Forms: 1, 4 stapol, 1–5 stapul, stapel, 3 stapil, stapple, 5 stapill, stapyl(l, 6 stapylle, 5–6 stapulle, 6 stappil, 4, 7 stable, 7 Sc. staiple, 4– staple. [OE. stapol str. masc. (a wk. form stapole is doubtful) corresponds to OFris. stapul, stapel stem or visible part of a tooth, also block for executions (WFris. steapel, NFris. stabel heap), OS. stapal, stapel, candle, small tub (MLG. stapel pillar, post, candle, block for executions, platform, stocks for shipbuilding, heap; hence MHG. and mod.G. stapel stake, beam, stocks for shipbuilding, and prob. Sw. stapel, Da. stabel in the same senses), MDu. stapel foundation, support, stem of a plant, heap (mod.Du. stapel leg of a chair, stocks, heap), OHG. staffal (gl. ‘basis’; the fem. staffala, mod.G. staffel step, rung of a ladder, is prob. a separate formation), ON. stǫpull steeple, tower, once pillar:—OTeut. *stapulo-z.
The various applications of the word in the Teut. langs. seem traceable to a general sense of ‘something supporting’; the root *stap- is prob. identical with that of STEP sb. and v.
In addition to the sense 1 below, OE. seems to have had those of foundation (gl. batis, perh. error for basis) and steps or raised platform in front of an outer door (see Beowulf 926 and the gloss ‘stapel, patronus,’ prob. for petronus: cf. F. perron), but these did not survive into ME. Sense 2 is not found in continental Teut., and its evolution is not easy to explain; the identity of the word is not certain.]
† 1. A post, pillar, column (of wood, stone, metal). Obs.
Beowulf, 2718. Þa stanboʓan stapulum fæste.
c. 950. Lindisf. Gosp., Matt. xxi. 12. Staplas [glosses columbas mistaken for columnas].
a. 1000. Andreas, 1062. Oð ðat he ʓemette … standan stræte neah stapul ærenne.
a. 1000. Gloss., in Wr.-Wülcker, 205/5. Cione, stapole.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 8288. Vnder þis tre … A stapul was o marbul grai.
13[?]. Seuyn Sages (W.), 201. Leues thai tok, sextene, Of iuy … Under ech stapel of his bed … four thai hid.
1387. Trevisa, Higden (Rolls), V. 273. But Edol, duke of Gloucestre, cauȝte a stable, [L. arrepto palo: v.rr. pale, stake] and defended hym manliche.
† b. Used for STEEPLE, Obs. rare–1.
Perh. an error; but cf. ON. stǫpull.
1470–1. in Oxf. Stud. Soc. & Legal Hist. (1914), IV. 225. In Bylddyng of his Chaunterye and the Chyrche Stapill in the Town of Latton.
c. Mining. A pillar of coal left as a temporary support for a superincumbent mass.
1839. Ure, Dict. Arts, etc. 979. As a further precaution staples of coal, about 10 inches square, are left.
2. A short rod or bar of iron or other metal bent into the form of a Ｕ or of three sides of a rectangle, and pointed at the ends, to be driven into a post, plank, wall, or other surface, in order to serve as a hold for a hasp, hook, or bolt to secure a door or box, or as an attachment for a rope or the like. Also applied to other contrivances of similar shape or function, as the box or case into which the bolt of a lock is shot.
For hasp and staple (Law), see HASP sb. 1 d.
1295. MS. Acc. Exch. K. R. 5/8 m. 10 Et .ij. s. ix. d. in stipendiis Hugonis Fabri pro stapples et hespes fabricandis.
c. 1340. Nominale (Skeat), 467. Et graps et appenduz Stapul and haspe. Ibid., 471. Sere veroil et cerrure Barre slot and stapul.
1344–5. MS. Acc. Exch. K. R. 492/24. Facientis unum haspe et unum stapel pro hostio stabuli.
c. 1380. Sir Ferumb., 2181. Þe henges boþe barste & þe stapel þar-with out sprong.
a. 1400–50. Wars Alex., 1081. Of ilka bild,… barred was þe ȝatis, Stoken stifly with out with staplis & cheynes.
c. 1440. Promp. Parv., 472/2. Stapylle of a schyttynge (v.r. stapul), stapellum.
1485. Nottingham Rec., III. 231. A newe staple of iren to þe same yeate.
1495. Naval Acc. Hen. VII. (1896), 150. Staples & clampes of yron ffor a carte.
1541. Act 33 Hen. VIII., c. 12 § 3. The Sergeant … shall bringe to the saide place of execucion a blocke withe a betill a staple and cordes to bynde the saide hande vpon the blocke.
a. 1552. Leland, Itin., VII. 56. Men alyve have sene Rynges and Staples yn the Walles as yt had bene Stayes or Holdes for Shyppes.
1560. Ludlow Churchw. Acc. (Camden), 96. A stapulle and a haspe for the … chest.
1606. Shaks., Tr. & Cr., Prol. 17. With massie Staples And corresponsiue and fulfilling Bolts.
1626. Capt. Smith, Accid. Yng. Seamen, 12. Grummets, and staples for all yeards.
1643. Lightfoot, Glean. Exod., 41. Staples of Gold were fastned in every planke.
1660. Boyle, New Exp. Phys.-Mech., Proem 14. A small Iron nut,… which is fastened by two staples … to the under side of the … board.
1677. Moxon, Mech. Exerc., ii. 28. You must with square Staples, just fit to contain the Bolt with an easie play, fasten these staples, by rivetting them with the Bolt within them … to the Main-plate.
1688. R. Holme, Armoury, III. 462/1. The Crown Stable, that to which the Clapper [of the Bell] is hung. Ibid., IV. v. (Roxb.), 309/2. A demy Ape … holding a stable by the tanges with both his hands, Sable.
1691. T. H[ale], Acc. New Invent., 46. Her Rudder-Irons Stirrups, Staples, etc.
1725. Pope, Odyss., XXI. 48. The bolt … Forsakes the staple as she pulls the ring.
1746. Watson, in Phil. Trans., XLIV. 714. Cork’d, with a Staple of small Wire running through each Cork into the Water.
1810. Shelley, Zastrozzi, i. Pr. Wks. (1888), I. 5. His limbs … were fixed by immense staples to the flinty floor.
c. 1850. Rudim. Navig. (Weale), 152. Staples, crooked fastenings made of copper, from 6 to 12 inches long, with a jagged hook at each end.
1863. Geo. Eliot, Romola, I. xvi. Fastening the old bridle … to an iron staple in the wall.
1884. Manch. Exam., 6 Oct., 5/4. The deceased was drawing the staples by which the ladders were held.
1898. M. Hewlett, Forest Lovers, xxx. A girdle made of bright steel in which was a staple.
fig. 1809–10. Coleridge, Friend (ed. 3), III. 118. The uneducated … talker overlooks all mental relations…. Hence the nearer the … incidents in time and place, the more distant, disjointed [etc.] … will they appear in his narrative … and this from the want of a staple or starting-post in the narrator himself.
1827. Hare, Guesses, Ser. II. (1873), 324. A philosopher … must be a staple firmly and deeply fixt—in the adamantine walls of Truth.
† b. A clasp or fastening for armor, Obs. [Cf. STAPLED ppl. a. quot. 13[?].]
a. 1420. Aunturs of Arthur, 591 (Douce MS.). Stiþe stapeles [v.r. stapuls] of stele þey strike done stiȝte.
1535. Stewart, Cron. Scot. (1858), I. 382. Thair freikis fell with mony forcie flap, Quhill ruvis raif and steill stapillis out lap.
c. A snout-ring.
1688. R. Holme, Armoury, II. 181/2. Rings, or Staples to put into their [swine’s] Noses to keep them from Rooting.
1875. [see snout-ring, SNOUT sb.1 7].
3. The upright body of a hand printing press.
1833. J. Holland, Manuf. Metal, II. 208. A is the upright body of the press, called the staple.
4. attrib. and Comb. (sense 2), as staple-driver, -fastener, -pin, -punch; staple-headed, -shaped adjs.; staple-fashion, -wise advs.; also † staple-bar, ? a bar to which a staple is fixed; staple isinglass, isinglass in staple-shaped pieces; staple-knee Naut. (see quot.); staple-ring = sense 2 c; staple-vice, a bench-vice.
1339–40. Ely Sacrist Rolls (1907), II. 96. Item solut. Johanni Amyot pro *stapolbarris fabricandis de iiijxx peciis ferri Dni. pro pec. iijd. £1. 0s. 3d.
1399. MS. Acc. Exch. K. R. 473/11 m. 3 Pro .viij. Soudletles .ij. Stapulbarres pro fenestris eiusdem noue domus.
1884. Knight, Dict. Mech., Suppl., *Staple-driver, an instrument for driving the staples in window-blinds.
1869. Sir E. Reed, Shipbuilding, ii. 42. The angle-irons on the upper edge are forged *staple fashion.
1884. Knight, Dict. Mech., Suppl., *Staple Fastener, a spring punch for driving and clinching a staple against an anvil block beneath.
1819. Fosbroke, Hist. Glouc., 119. Massy round Columns, with *staple-headed arches.
1879. Simmonds, Commerc. Products Sea, 243. Isinglass … drawn out in a serpentine manner into the form of a heart, horseshoe, or lyre (long and short *staple) between three pegs.
1883. R. Haldane, Workshop Rec., Ser. II. 355/1. The isinglass comes into commerce under the names of … ‘staple,’ ‘book,’ ‘pipe,’… and other designations, according to its form.
1846. A. Young, Naut. Dict., 295. Standard-knees.… These … are also called *Staple-knees, or Staple-lodging knees.
1835. Ure, Philos. Manuf., 145. It has a *staple pin at its inner end.
1875. Knight, Dict. Mech., s.v., The *staple-punch has two points, and is used to prick blind-rods and slats for the reception of the staples which connect them.
1707. Lond. Gaz., No. 4377/4. A black Mare…, wring’d with a *staple Ring.
1874. Thearle, Naval Archit., § 258. 275. An intercostal *staple-shaped angle-iron.
1881. Young, Ev. Man his own Mechanic, § 280. The best black *staple vices are sold, according to weight, at 7d per lb.
Mod. Tool-maker’s Price-list, Vices. Staple Leg Vices.
1596. Mascall, Bk. Cattle, Hogs, 275. Make it sharpe at both ends, and bow it *staple-wise with two corners nigh an inch wide.
