stud

A small object that protrudes from something; an ornamental knob.

Noun

  1. A small object that protrudes from something; an ornamental knob.
    • a collar with studs
    • A belt of straw and ivy buds, / With coral clasps and amber studs. - c. 1587, Christopher Marlowe, The Passionate Shepherd to His Love:
    • Crystal and myrrhine cups, embossed with gems / And studs of pearl. - 1671, John Milton, “(please specify the page)”, in Paradise Regain’d. A Poem. In IV Books. To which is Added, Samson Agonistes, London: […] J[ohn]...
  2. A style of earring where the decorative element is mounted on a straight post.
    • She's wearing studs in her ears.
  3. A vertical post, especially one of the small uprights in the framing for lath and plaster partitions, and furring, and upon which the laths are nailed.
  4. A cleat on a shoe.
  5. A stem; a trunk.
    • Seest not this same hawthorn stud? - 1579, Immeritô [pseudonym; Edmund Spenser], “March. Aegloga Tertia.”, in The Shepheardes Calender: […], London: […] Iohn Wolfe for Iohn Harrison the yonger, […], →OCLC:
  6. A type of poker in which the player cannot discard, and some of the cards are exposed.
    • At an old saloon on a street of mud / There at a table, dealing stud / Sat the dirty, mangy dog that named me "Sue" - 1969, Shel Silverstein, “A Boy Named Sue”, performed by Johnny Cash:

    Synonyms: stud poker

  7. A short rod or pin, fixed in and projecting from something, and sometimes forming a journal.
  8. A stud bolt.
  9. An iron brace across the shorter diameter of the link of a chain cable.

Origin

Inherited from Middle English stude, from Old English studu, from Proto-West Germanic *stuþ, from Proto-Germanic *stuþs.

Forms

studs

Derived

collar stud five-card stud mud and stud nose stud press stud seven-card stud shirt-stud abscess spring stud studded stud finder

Noun Entry 2

  1. A male animal, especially a stud horse (stallion), kept for breeding.

    Synonyms: sire

  2. A female animal, especially a studmare (broodmare), kept for breeding.
  3. A group of such animals, also of locomotives.
    • He had the finest stud in England, and his delight was to win plates from Tories. - 1849–1861, Thomas Babington Macaulay, chapter XX, in The History of England from the Accession of James the Second, volume (please...
    • In freight working a considerable stud of ex-N.E.R. 3-cylinder 4-6-0s of Class "B16" is used, some of which include the Thompson modifications to the front end. - 1949 November and December, O. S. Nock, “Twenty-Four...
    • At that time, therefore, L.M.S. motive power for the increased loads of the Birmingham trains was less than adequate, whereas the G.W.R. route had an ample stud of Churchward and Collett 4-6-0s, and timekeeping was...
  4. An animal (usually livestock) that has been registered and is retained for breeding.
    • at stud
  5. A place, such as a ranch, where such animals are kept.
    • In the studs of persons of quality in Ireland, where care is taken, […]we see horses bred of excellent shape, vigour, and size. - 1673, Sir William Temple, 1st Baronet, An Essay upon the Advancement of Trade in Ireland:
  6. A sexually attractive, promiscuous male.
    • Well, I'll tell you the truth now. I ain't a for-real cowboy, but I am one hell of a stud! - 1969, Waldo Salt, Midnight Cowboy, spoken by Joe Buck (Jon Voight):
    • Maverick, you big stud… Take me to bed or lose me forever. - 1986, Jim Cash, Jack Epps Jr., Top Gun (motion picture), spoken by Charlie (Kelly McGillis):
    • Wow, Julia! Sounds like to me like you got your pick of any man in this room to dance with so I want you to take your time and find amongst all these young studs here tonight the coolest, most un-losery guy in the bunch...

    Synonyms: he-man hunk stallion

  7. A sexually dominant lesbian, chiefly African-American.
    • Down and lonely stud, 23 years old, wants comfort from sweet-hearted fem. - 1983 August 13, Lisa Smith, “Personal advertisement”, in Gay Community News, volume 11, number 5, page 22:

Origin

From Middle English stood, stod, from Old English stōd, from Proto-West Germanic *stōd, from Proto-Germanic *stōdą. Cognate with Middle Low German stōt, German Stute, Dutch stoet and Old Norse stóð.

Forms

studs

Derived

bestud cyberstud stem stemme stud book studded tire studdery studding studette stud farm studfish studgun studless studlike studly stud mare studmark studmaster stud muffin stud puppy studs up studwork superstud

Noun abbreviation, alt of

  1. Clipping of student.

Forms

studs

Verb

  1. To set with studs; to furnish with studs.
  2. To decorate as a stud does.
    • The fruit [of Loranthus vestitus] is yellowish and fleshy, and is almost sessile on the stem, which it thickly studs. - 1910, E. B. Stebbing, “The Loranthus Parasite of the Moru and Ban Oaks”, in Journal and Proceedings...
  3. To be scattered over the surface of (something) at intervals.
    • [S]eemingly countless young hot stars stud the entire huge central region[.] - 2012, Antony Cooke, Dark Nebulae, Dark Lanes, and Dust Belts, page 82:
  4. To set (something) over a surface at intervals.
    • Stud the cake all over with chocolate chips, pointed ends in. - 2010, Rose Levy Beranbaum, Rose's Heavenly Cakes:
    • Stud the onion with cloves and add to the pan. - 2016, Mary Price, Vincent Price, Mary and Vincent Price's Come Into the Kitchen Cook Book, page 70:

Forms

studs studding studded