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Synonyms

stapler

1 American  
[stey-pler] / ˈsteɪ plər /

noun

  1. a machine for fastening together sheets of paper or the like, with wire staples.

  2. a wire-stitching machine, especially one used in bookbinding.

  3. Also called staple gun.  a hand-powered tool used for driving heavy-duty wire staples into wood and other materials.

stapler 2 American  
[stey-pler] / ˈsteɪ plər /

noun

  1. a person who staples wool.

  2. a merchant who deals in a staple or staples.

stapler British  
/ ˈsteɪplə /

noun

  1. a machine that inserts staples into sheets of paper, etc, to hold them together

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of stapler1

First recorded in 1905–10; staple 1 + -er 1

Origin of stapler2

First recorded in 1505–15; staple 2 + -er 1

Explanation

A stapler is an office tool that fastens multiple sheets of paper together. If you don't have a paper clip, you'll need a stapler for your book report. A stapler works by pushing the sharp metal ends of a staple through the paper and folding the staple's ends so the sheets are securely fastened together. Eighteenth-century French toolmakers created the first stapler for King Louis XV, with every single staple inscribed with the royal court insignia. Earlier, sealing wax acted as a less-effective kind of fastener. In 2012, $80 million was spent on staplers.

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Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Elsewhere in the warehouse, an authenticator uses a device smaller than a stapler to scan a Louis Vuitton tote to help determine whether the leather, stitching and branding are authentic.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 21, 2026

Classic scenes come to life in Jim’s teapot, Michael’s World’s Best Boss mug and Dwight’s Jell-O-encased stapler.

From Seattle Times • Nov. 15, 2022

He gives somebody a stapler and he says, "Oh, I'm going to be president one day. Hold on to that."

From Salon • Jun. 14, 2021

“What better antagonists are there than a cubicle, a stapler and a bad co-worker? They’re ready-made foes.”

From Washington Post • Feb. 24, 2021

In his office he constantly altered the position of his coffee mug, his stapler, a jar of pens, he shuffled papers into neater piles.

From "The Girl on the Train" by Paula Hawkins

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.