Staple (textiles)
![A spool of white all-purpose thread for sewing. Viewing in closeup shows the right-handed Z-twist as well as the tiny individual staples making up the cotton wrapping](/Images/godic/202502/13/Spool_of_white_thread2809.jpg")
![Magnified fibres of silk, wool, and cotton](/Images/godic/202502/13/PSM_V39_D189_Magnified_fibers_of_silk_wool_and_cotton2809.jpg")
A staple is a fibre of a standardized length and may be of any composition, but a wool staple is an independent natural cluster of fibres, not a single fibre. A continuous fibre such as natural silk or synthetic is known as a filament rather than a fibre.