What does stapling mean?
Stapling is the act of fastening sheets of paper or other thin materials together with a metal staple. The word is especially common in offices, printing, publishing, and mailing, where it can refer both to the action and to the result: a loose or damaged stapling may require the pages to be rearranged and restapled. As a verb form, stapling describes the activity currently being performed, as in “She was stapling copies of the report.” The term generally refers to the traditional wire fastener, although in some technical and industrial contexts it may include staples made from heavier wire. Historically, the word developed from the broader sense of a staple as a fastening device, itself connected with an older word for a post, pillar, or standing support. Stapling is therefore a practical word associated with assembling, securing, and presenting documents, especially when many identical copies need to be bound together quickly.
The process or result of fastening materials together with staples, especially sheets of paper.
"The booklet fell apart because the stapling was too weak."
Usually used in office, printing, publishing, or mailing contexts.
The present participle of staple: fastening something together with staples.
"He was stapling the pages and preparing them for distribution."
This form normally describes an action in progress or a process being performed.
The plural is uncommon and is appropriate when referring to distinct instances of fastening or to separate assemblies made with staples.
"The broken staplings were removed before the pages were scanned."
Paper fasteners were named staples because their early U-shaped form resembled the iron staples used for securing rope, hide, or other materials.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does stapling come from?
The form stapling was formed in English by adding the suffix -ing to staple. Staple came through Middle English from Old French estaple, originally referring to a market or trading post, which was borrowed from a Dutch word for a post or pillar. That Germanic word is related to other forms associated with standing or supporting, including stable and stanchion, as well as to Latin station through the common Indo-European root for standing.
Related word forms
How stapling is actually used
As a noun, stapling most commonly describes the process or result of fastening papers. As the present participle of the verb staple, it describes an action in progress and is often used in office, publishing, and document-handling contexts.