| bread, considered as the mainstay of the human diet. |
| staff of life n. pl. staves of life or staffs of life A staple or necessary food, especially bread. |
A basic staple food, such as bread, rice, or potatoes: “Rice is the staff of life in eastern Asia.”
staff of life
A staple or necessary food, especially bread. For example, Rice is the staff of life for a majority of the earth's people. This expression, which uses staff in the sense of "a support," was first recorded in 1638.