English Reference
noun · verb

stud

n. · v.
US /ˈstəd/ UK /stˈʌd/ stud UK spelling stud's, stud's

  1. 01 B2 Upper Intermediate

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

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

    Simple

    The player changed his football boots because the studs were worn down.

    In context

    The designer added silver studs to the lapels of the jacket to give it a more aggressive, industrial aesthetic.

    knobbossprotrusion
  2. 02 C1 Advanced Technical Science

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

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

    Simple

    You need to find a stud in the wall before you hang that heavy shelf.

    In context

    The carpenter spaced the timber studs at sixteen-inch intervals to ensure the partition wall met local building codes.

  3. 03 C1 Advanced InformalSlang

    n.a man who is considered very strong and sexually attractive.

    n.a man perceived as being physically attractive and sexually successful.

    Simple

    He thinks he is a bit of a stud now that he has started going to the gym.

    In context

    The protagonist was cast as a typical Hollywood stud, though the script gave him very little actual dialogue.

    heartthrobhunk
  4. 04 C1 Advanced Technical

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

    n.a male animal, particularly a stallion, retained for breeding purposes.

    Simple

    The champion horse was retired from racing and sent to a stud farm.

    In context

    The farm's reputation was built on the quality of its stud, which had sired several prize-winning colts over the last decade.

  5. 05 C1 Advanced Literary

    v.to cover a surface with many small objects.

    v.to scatter or set something over a surface at intervals for decoration or reinforcement.

    Simple

    On a clear night, thousands of stars stud the sky.

    In context

    The crown was studded with rare emeralds and diamonds that caught the light with every movement of the queen's head.

In Spain baby girls are adorned with ear studs before they even leave the hospital.

The Local· 19 Sept 2024

Etymology 1

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.

Etymology 2

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

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This entry
Origin gem-pro *stōdą
Level C1 · Advanced
Frequency Frequent
Updated