staple

Adjective

• necessary or important, especially regarding food or commodities
  • wheat is a staple crop
    

Noun

• paper fastener consisting of a short length of U-shaped wire that can fasten papers together

• a short U-shaped wire nail for securing cables

• material suitable for manufacture or use or finishing

• a natural fiber (raw cotton, wool, hemp, flax) that can be twisted to form yarn
  • staple fibers vary widely in length
    

• (usually plural) a necessary commodity for which demand is constant

Verb

• secure or fasten with a staple or staples
  • staple the papers together
    

Related words

• Synonyms: 
  raw material , staple fiber , staple fibre , basic