staple

staple · noun, verb, adjective¹

1. Proto-Indo-European*stebʰ-der.?
2. Proto-Germanic*stapulaz
3. Frankish*stapu
4. Late Latinstapula
5. Old Frenchestaple
6. Anglo-Normanstaple
7. Middle Englishstaple
8. English todaystaple

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.

staple · noun, verb²

1. Proto-Indo-European*stebʰ-der.?
2. Proto-Germanic*stapulaz
3. Proto-West Germanic*stapul
4. Old Englishstapol
5. Middle Englishstapel
6. English todaystaple

From Middle English stapel (“staple, pillar, post”), from Old English stapol (“post, pillar”), from Proto-West Germanic *stapul, from Proto-Germanic *stapulaz, from Proto-Indo-European *stebʰ- (“post, stem”). See also Old English steppan (“to step”) and Old French estaple (“post”). Consider also stapes (“stirrup”), from Latin. Doublet of étape and etymology 1.

Staple · proper noun³

1. Middle English · derived fromstapel“staple”
2. English todayStaple

From Middle English stapel (“staple”).

Words from the same roots