Word
stub
US/ˈstəb/
UK/stˈʌb/
Countable noun
Definition
n. the short part of something that remains after the rest has been used, broken, or removed. You might have a stub from a pencil or a ticket after you enter a show.
n. the short, remaining part of an object after the larger portion has been consumed, detached, or discarded. Often refers to the counterfoil of a cheque or ticket kept for record-keeping purposes.
Examples
“He kept the ticket stub as a souvenir from the concert.”
“After the usher scanned her ticket, she tucked the remaining stub into her wallet for her scrapbook.”
“The investigator found nothing in the ashtray but a single cigar stub, which suggested the suspect had been waiting in the office for a considerable amount of time.”
Examples
simple
“He kept the ticket stub as a souvenir from the concert.”
contextual
“After the usher scanned her ticket, she tucked the remaining stub into her wallet for her scrapbook.”
complex
“The investigator found nothing in the ashtray but a single cigar stub, which suggested the suspect had been waiting in the office for a considerable amount of time.”
Usage
Commonly used in the context of tickets, pencils, and financial documents like cheques or pay slips.
Real-World Examples
“Could vaping help smokers stub out cigarettes for good?” Etymology
From Middle English stubbe (“tree stump”), from Old English stybb, stubb (“tree stump”), from Proto-West Germanic stubb, from Proto-Germanic stubbaz (compare Middle Dutch stubbe, Old Norse stubbr, Faroese stubbi (“stub”)), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)tew-; compare steep (“sharp slope”). Doublet of stob. Sense extended in Middle English to similarly shaped objects. Verb sense “strike one’s toe” is recorded 1848; “extinguish a cigarette” 1927.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Idioms
01. stub out
Domains
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B2 FirstIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.5.5–6.5TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 4.0–4.572–94TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.785–944
- Frequency
- Occasional
- Level
- B2 · Upper Intermediate
- Updated
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