# stud

/ˈstəd/ (US) · /stˈʌd/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/stud
Updated: 2026-06-20

## Senses

### 1. fastener or protrusion

noun · CEFR B2

a small piece of metal or plastic that sticks out from a surface, like on a leather jacket or a football boot.

For teachers: a small, projecting fastener or decorative knob, often used in leatherwork, footwear, or as a type of earring.

- The player changed his football boots because the studs were worn down.
- The designer added silver studs to the lapels of the jacket to give it a more aggressive, industrial aesthetic.

### 2. wall support

noun · CEFR C1 · Technical

a vertical wooden or metal post used inside a wall to support it.

For teachers: an upright support in the wall of a building to which sheathing, drywall, or laths are attached.

- You need to find a stud in the wall before you hang that heavy shelf.
- The carpenter spaced the timber studs at sixteen-inch intervals to ensure the partition wall met local building codes.

### 3. attractive man

noun · CEFR C1 · Informal · Slang

a man who is considered very strong and sexually attractive.

For teachers: a man perceived as being physically attractive and sexually successful.

- He thinks he is a bit of a stud now that he has started going to the gym.
- The protagonist was cast as a typical Hollywood stud, though the script gave him very little actual dialogue.

### 4. breeding animal

noun · CEFR C1 · Technical

a male animal, especially a horse, kept for breeding.

For teachers: a male animal, particularly a stallion, retained for breeding purposes.

- The champion horse was retired from racing and sent to a stud farm.
- The farm's reputation was built on the quality of its stud, which had sired several prize-winning colts over the last decade.

### 5. to decorate a surface

verb · CEFR C1 · Literary

to cover a surface with many small objects.

For teachers: to scatter or set something over a surface at intervals for decoration or reinforcement.

- On a clear night, thousands of stars stud the sky.
- The crown was studded with rare emeralds and diamonds that caught the light with every movement of the queen's head.

## Examples

- The mechanic replaced a broken stud on the car's wheel.
- Before hanging the heavy bookshelf, he used a sensor to find a wooden stud behind the drywall for better support.
- The engineer specified that each steel stud must be spaced exactly sixteen inches apart to ensure the structural integrity of the partition wall under high wind loads.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.