"staple" meaning in Middle English

See staple in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Noun

Forms: staples [plural], stapel [alternative], stapil [alternative], stapul [alternative]
Etymology: Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *stebʰ-der.? Proto-Germanic *stapulaz Frankish *stapulbor. Late Latin stapula Old French estaple Anglo-Norman staplebor. Middle English staple Borrowed from Anglo-Norman staple (Old French estaple), from Frankish *stapul (“post, pillar; basis, foundation”). Doublet of stapel (“post, stake”). Etymology templates: {{ety|enm|:bor|xno:staple<ety:from<fro:estaple>>|id=market|tree=1}} Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *stebʰ-der.? Proto-Germanic *stapulaz Frankish *stapulbor. Late Latin stapula Old French estaple Anglo-Norman staplebor. Middle English staple [Appendix:Glossary#loanword|Borrowed]] from", "terms" : [ { "children" : [ { "terms" : [ { "children" : [ { "terms" : [ { "children" : [ { "keyword_abbrev" : "bor.", "keyword_label" : "Borrowed from", "terms" : [ { "children" : [ { "terms" : [ { "children" : [ { "keyword_abbrev" : "der.", "is_uncertain" : true, "keyword_label" : "Derived from", "terms" : [ { "children" : [ ], "lang_name" : "Proto-Indo-European", "term" : "*stebʰ-", "status" : "ok", "lang" : "ine-pro" } ], "keyword" : "derived" } ], "lang_name" : "Proto-Germanic", "term" : "*stapulaz", "status" : "ok", "lang" : "gem-pro" } ], "keyword_label" : "Inherited from", "keyword" : "inherited" } ], "lang_name" : "Frankish", "term" : "*stapul", "status" : "ok", "lang" : "frk" } ], "keyword" : "bor" } ], "lang_name" : "Late Latin", "term" : "stapula", "status" : "inline", "lang" : "la-lat" } ], "keyword_label" : "Inherited from", "keyword" : "inherited" } ], "lang_name" : "Old French", "term" : "estaple", "status" : "ok", "lang" : "fro" } ], "keyword_label" : "From", "keyword" : "from" } ], "lang_name" : "Anglo-Norman", "term" : "staple", "status" : "inline", "lang" : "xno" } ], "keyword" : "bor" } ], "status" : "ok", "lang_name" : "Middle English", "term" : "staple", "lang" : "enm" }" data-id="market" data-lang="enm" data-title="staple" id="Middle_English:_market">, {{bor|enm|xno|staple}} Anglo-Norman staple, {{cog|fro|estaple}} Old French estaple, {{der|enm|frk|*stapul|t=post, pillar; basis, foundation}} Frankish *stapul (“post, pillar; basis, foundation”), {{doublet|enm|stapel|t1=post, stake}} Doublet of stapel (“post, stake”) Head templates: {{head|enm|noun|g=|g2=|g3=|head=|sort=}} staple, {{enm-noun}} staple (plural staples)
  1. staple (official market established by royal authority for selling export goods)
    Sense id: en-staple-enm-noun-CPoPuq9w Categories (other): Middle English entries with etymology trees, Middle English entries with etymon Disambiguation of Middle English entries with etymology trees: 58 42 Disambiguation of Middle English entries with etymon: 57 43
  2. staple (the town containing such market)
    Sense id: en-staple-enm-noun-TYtbUeSh
The following are not (yet) sense-disambiguated
Etymology number: 1

Noun

Forms: staples [plural]
Head templates: {{head|enm|noun|g=|g2=|g3=|head=|sort=}} staple, {{enm-noun}} staple (plural staples)
  1. alternative form of stapel Tags: alt-of, alternative Alternative form of: stapel
    Sense id: en-staple-enm-noun-SXDENxD-
The following are not (yet) sense-disambiguated
Etymology number: 2

Alternative forms

{
  "descendants": [
    {
      "lang": "English",
      "lang_code": "en",
      "word": "staple"
    },
    {
      "lang": "Scots",
      "lang_code": "sco",
      "word": "stapill"
    },
    {
      "lang": "Scots",
      "lang_code": "sco",
      "word": "staple"
    },
    {
      "lang": "Scots",
      "lang_code": "sco",
      "word": "steple"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_number": "1",
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": ":bor",
        "3": "xno:staple<ety:from<fro:estaple>>",
        "id": "market",
        "tree": "1"
      },
      "expansion": "Etymology tree\nProto-Indo-European *stebʰ-der.?\nProto-Germanic *stapulaz\nFrankish *stapulbor.\nLate Latin stapula\nOld French estaple\nAnglo-Norman staplebor.\nMiddle English staple\n[Appendix:Glossary#loanword|Borrowed]] from\", \"terms\" : [ { \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"children\" : [ { \"keyword_abbrev\" : \"bor.\", \"keyword_label\" : \"Borrowed from\", \"terms\" : [ { \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"children\" : [ { \"keyword_abbrev\" : \"der.\", \"is_uncertain\" : true, \"keyword_label\" : \"Derived from\", \"terms\" : [ { \"children\" : [ ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Indo-European\", \"term\" : \"*stebʰ-\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"ine-pro\" } ], \"keyword\" : \"derived\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Germanic\", \"term\" : \"*stapulaz\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"gem-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Frankish\", \"term\" : \"*stapul\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"frk\" } ], \"keyword\" : \"bor\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Late Latin\", \"term\" : \"stapula\", \"status\" : \"inline\", \"lang\" : \"la-lat\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Old French\", \"term\" : \"estaple\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"fro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"From\", \"keyword\" : \"from\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Anglo-Norman\", \"term\" : \"staple\", \"status\" : \"inline\", \"lang\" : \"xno\" } ], \"keyword\" : \"bor\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Middle English\", \"term\" : \"staple\", \"lang\" : \"enm\" }\" data-id=\"market\" data-lang=\"enm\" data-title=\"staple\" id=\"Middle_English:_market\">",
      "name": "ety"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "xno",
        "3": "staple"
      },
      "expansion": "Anglo-Norman staple",
      "name": "bor"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "fro",
        "2": "estaple"
      },
      "expansion": "Old French estaple",
      "name": "cog"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "frk",
        "3": "*stapul",
        "t": "post, pillar; basis, foundation"
      },
      "expansion": "Frankish *stapul (“post, pillar; basis, foundation”)",
      "name": "der"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "stapel",
        "t1": "post, stake"
      },
      "expansion": "Doublet of stapel (“post, stake”)",
      "name": "doublet"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "Etymology tree\nProto-Indo-European *stebʰ-der.?\nProto-Germanic *stapulaz\nFrankish *stapulbor.\nLate Latin stapula\nOld French estaple\nAnglo-Norman staplebor.\nMiddle English staple\nBorrowed from Anglo-Norman staple (Old French estaple), from Frankish *stapul (“post, pillar; basis, foundation”). Doublet of stapel (“post, stake”).",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "staples",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "stapel",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "stapil",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "stapul",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "noun",
        "g": "",
        "g2": "",
        "g3": "",
        "head": "",
        "sort": ""
      },
      "expansion": "staple",
      "name": "head"
    },
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "staple (plural staples)",
      "name": "enm-noun"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "Middle English",
  "lang_code": "enm",
  "pos": "noun",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "58 42",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Middle English entries with etymology trees",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "57 43",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Middle English entries with etymon",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "staple (official market established by royal authority for selling export goods)"
      ],
      "id": "en-staple-enm-noun-CPoPuq9w",
      "links": [
        [
          "staple",
          "#English"
        ]
      ]
    },
    {
      "glosses": [
        "staple (the town containing such market)"
      ],
      "id": "en-staple-enm-noun-TYtbUeSh",
      "links": [
        [
          "staple",
          "#English"
        ]
      ]
    }
  ],
  "word": "staple"
}

{
  "etymology_number": "2",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "staples",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "noun",
        "g": "",
        "g2": "",
        "g3": "",
        "head": "",
        "sort": ""
      },
      "expansion": "staple",
      "name": "head"
    },
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "staple (plural staples)",
      "name": "enm-noun"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "Middle English",
  "lang_code": "enm",
  "pos": "noun",
  "senses": [
    {
      "alt_of": [
        {
          "word": "stapel"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "alternative form of stapel"
      ],
      "id": "en-staple-enm-noun-SXDENxD-",
      "links": [
        [
          "stapel",
          "stapel#Middle_English"
        ]
      ],
      "tags": [
        "alt-of",
        "alternative"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "word": "staple"
}

{
  "categories": [
    "Middle English doublets",
    "Middle English entries with etymology trees",
    "Middle English entries with etymon",
    "Middle English entries with incorrect language header",
    "Middle English lemmas",
    "Middle English nouns",
    "Middle English terms borrowed from Anglo-Norman",
    "Middle English terms derived from Anglo-Norman",
    "Middle English terms derived from Frankish",
    "Middle English terms derived from Late Latin",
    "Middle English terms derived from Old French",
    "Middle English terms derived from Proto-Germanic",
    "Middle English terms derived from Proto-Indo-European",
    "Middle English terms derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *stebʰ-",
    "Pages using etymon with no ID",
    "Pages with 3 entries",
    "Pages with entries",
    "Pages with etymology trees",
    "Pages with etymon",
    "Pages with inline etymon for redlinks"
  ],
  "descendants": [
    {
      "lang": "English",
      "lang_code": "en",
      "word": "staple"
    },
    {
      "lang": "Scots",
      "lang_code": "sco",
      "word": "stapill"
    },
    {
      "lang": "Scots",
      "lang_code": "sco",
      "word": "staple"
    },
    {
      "lang": "Scots",
      "lang_code": "sco",
      "word": "steple"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_number": "1",
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": ":bor",
        "3": "xno:staple<ety:from<fro:estaple>>",
        "id": "market",
        "tree": "1"
      },
      "expansion": "Etymology tree\nProto-Indo-European *stebʰ-der.?\nProto-Germanic *stapulaz\nFrankish *stapulbor.\nLate Latin stapula\nOld French estaple\nAnglo-Norman staplebor.\nMiddle English staple\n[Appendix:Glossary#loanword|Borrowed]] from\", \"terms\" : [ { \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"children\" : [ { \"keyword_abbrev\" : \"bor.\", \"keyword_label\" : \"Borrowed from\", \"terms\" : [ { \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"children\" : [ { \"keyword_abbrev\" : \"der.\", \"is_uncertain\" : true, \"keyword_label\" : \"Derived from\", \"terms\" : [ { \"children\" : [ ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Indo-European\", \"term\" : \"*stebʰ-\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"ine-pro\" } ], \"keyword\" : \"derived\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Germanic\", \"term\" : \"*stapulaz\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"gem-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Frankish\", \"term\" : \"*stapul\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"frk\" } ], \"keyword\" : \"bor\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Late Latin\", \"term\" : \"stapula\", \"status\" : \"inline\", \"lang\" : \"la-lat\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Old French\", \"term\" : \"estaple\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"fro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"From\", \"keyword\" : \"from\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Anglo-Norman\", \"term\" : \"staple\", \"status\" : \"inline\", \"lang\" : \"xno\" } ], \"keyword\" : \"bor\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Middle English\", \"term\" : \"staple\", \"lang\" : \"enm\" }\" data-id=\"market\" data-lang=\"enm\" data-title=\"staple\" id=\"Middle_English:_market\">",
      "name": "ety"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "xno",
        "3": "staple"
      },
      "expansion": "Anglo-Norman staple",
      "name": "bor"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "fro",
        "2": "estaple"
      },
      "expansion": "Old French estaple",
      "name": "cog"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "frk",
        "3": "*stapul",
        "t": "post, pillar; basis, foundation"
      },
      "expansion": "Frankish *stapul (“post, pillar; basis, foundation”)",
      "name": "der"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "stapel",
        "t1": "post, stake"
      },
      "expansion": "Doublet of stapel (“post, stake”)",
      "name": "doublet"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "Etymology tree\nProto-Indo-European *stebʰ-der.?\nProto-Germanic *stapulaz\nFrankish *stapulbor.\nLate Latin stapula\nOld French estaple\nAnglo-Norman staplebor.\nMiddle English staple\nBorrowed from Anglo-Norman staple (Old French estaple), from Frankish *stapul (“post, pillar; basis, foundation”). Doublet of stapel (“post, stake”).",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "staples",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "stapel",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "stapil",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "stapul",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "noun",
        "g": "",
        "g2": "",
        "g3": "",
        "head": "",
        "sort": ""
      },
      "expansion": "staple",
      "name": "head"
    },
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "staple (plural staples)",
      "name": "enm-noun"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "Middle English",
  "lang_code": "enm",
  "pos": "noun",
  "senses": [
    {
      "glosses": [
        "staple (official market established by royal authority for selling export goods)"
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "staple",
          "#English"
        ]
      ]
    },
    {
      "glosses": [
        "staple (the town containing such market)"
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "staple",
          "#English"
        ]
      ]
    }
  ],
  "word": "staple"
}

{
  "categories": [
    "Middle English entries with incorrect language header",
    "Middle English lemmas",
    "Middle English nouns",
    "Pages with 3 entries",
    "Pages with entries"
  ],
  "etymology_number": "2",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "staples",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "noun",
        "g": "",
        "g2": "",
        "g3": "",
        "head": "",
        "sort": ""
      },
      "expansion": "staple",
      "name": "head"
    },
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "staple (plural staples)",
      "name": "enm-noun"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "Middle English",
  "lang_code": "enm",
  "pos": "noun",
  "senses": [
    {
      "alt_of": [
        {
          "word": "stapel"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "alternative form of stapel"
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "stapel",
          "stapel#Middle_English"
        ]
      ],
      "tags": [
        "alt-of",
        "alternative"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "word": "staple"
}

Download raw JSONL data for staple meaning in Middle English (5.2kB)

This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable Middle English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2026-08-20 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2026-08-05 using wiktextract (872fc7b and 4deed51). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.