stud

1 of 4

noun (1)

plural studs
1
a
: a group of animals and especially horses kept primarily for breeding
b
: a place where a stud is kept
Haras du Pin, founded in 1730, is the biggest national stud in France …Wendy Insinger
often used before another noun
stud farms
2
: stud horse
Next day, the stud was led from his stall and turned into the breaking pen.Dave Jones
broadly : a male animal kept or used for breeding
often used before another noun
a stud dog
stud service
see also stud book
3
informal
a
: a very attractive and masculine man : hunk sense 2
He plays Torch, the shirtless soap-opera stud, with a restless, street-corner sexiness.Susan Littwin
She's All That, in which high school stud Freddie Prinze Jr. transforms dork Rachel Leigh Cook into a beauty queen.Entertainment Weekly
often, specifically : such a man who has a reputation of having multiple sexual partners
The world, anyway the part of it that cares, has heard of [Warren] Beatty's reputation as stud and of his affair with Christie. Stanley Kaufmann
b
: a young man : guy
c
: a tough person
4
sports, informal : a very talented usually young new player
… Portland was one of the more active teams in the offseason, acquiring potential All-Star Harvey Grant and rebounding stud Chris Dudley.Joe Menzer
… the team will look to start over at the position with a young stud. …Adam Cloutier
often used before another noun
The conventional spoon-feeding of the young stud pitcher calls for strict pitch counts and early exits.Tim Keown
5
often stud poker : poker in which each player is dealt a mix of usually five to seven facedown and faceup cards in multiple rounds with betting taking place after most rounds of dealing
Stud poker, where each player is dealt their first card face-down and the next four cards face-up, didn't come into existence for many years (until about 1864).Rebecca Ferguson
a stud poker player/game/hand
An M.B.A. from Harvard, he viewed seven-card stud as a test of money management …Sandra R. Gregg
When I was dealing I usually proposed five-card stud, a rudimentary game in which one's luck is quickly determined.Hayden Carruth

stud

2 of 4

noun (2)

1
a
: one of the smaller uprights in the framing of the walls of a building to which sheathing, paneling, or laths are fastened : scantling
b
: height from floor to ceiling
2
a
: a boss, rivet, or nail with a large head used (as on a shield or belt) for ornament or protection
b
: a solid button with a shank or eye on the back inserted (as through an eyelet in a garment) as a fastener or ornament
c
: a small button-like ornament with a post for inserting through a body part (such as the earlobe or nostril) and into a clasp
3
a
: any of various infixed pieces (such as a rod or pin) projecting from a machine and serving chiefly as a support or axis
b
: one of the metal or rubber cleats projecting from a snow tire to increase traction

stud

3 of 4

verb

studded; studding

transitive verb

1
: to furnish (a building, a wall, etc.) with studs
2
: to adorn, cover, or protect with studs
3
: to set, mark, or decorate conspicuously often at intervals
a sky studded with stars
a career studded with honors

stud

4 of 4

abbreviation

Phrases
at stud or less commonly in stud
: in the function of a stud : for breeding as a stud
Three important stallions—Cor de la Bryere, Furioso II and Zeus—which now stand at stud in West Germany, are leaders in their perspective age groups in the production of sport horses …Joan Birdsall

Examples of stud in a Sentence

Noun (1) she promised her friend that the blind date would be a real stud Verb Beads stud the surface of the gown.
Recent Examples on the Web
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Noun
The person had a mustache, wore a large diamond-like stud earring and appeared to have a tattoo that ran from below one ear down the neck just above the shoulder. Susan Tompor, USA TODAY, 31 Oct. 2024 Start by drilling pilot holes into the studs at the marked points. Lindsay Boyers, Architectural Digest, 29 Oct. 2024
Verb
Turkish delight, come perfumed with rose or studded with pistachio. Lela London, Forbes, 1 Nov. 2024 Every detail was perfectly recreated — from the performance look's metallic bustier, beaded yoke and chain skirt, to the black bob, silver headpiece, studded black gloves, black leggings and thigh-high leather boots Hudson wore to accessorize. Dave Quinn, People.com, 30 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for stud 

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English stod, from Old English stōd; akin to Old Church Slavic stado flock and probably to Old High German stān to stand — more at stand

Noun (2)

Middle English stode, from Old English studu; akin to Middle High German stud prop, Old Norse stoth post

First Known Use

Noun (1)

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Noun (2)

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

circa 1506, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of stud was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near stud

Cite this Entry

“Stud.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stud. Accessed 12 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

stud

1 of 3 noun
1
: a group of animals and especially horses kept primarily for breeding
2
: a male animal (as a stallion) kept for breeding

stud

2 of 3 noun
1
: one of the smaller upright supports in the framing of the walls of a building to which the wall materials are fastened
2
a
: a knob, pin, bolt, or nail with a large head used for ornament or protection
b
: a solid button used on a garment as a fastener or ornament
3
: one of the metal or rubber cleats used on a snow tire to provide a better grip

stud

3 of 3 verb
studded; studding
1
: to furnish (as a wall) with studs
2
: to decorate, cover, or protect with studs
3
: to set or be set thickly together
water studded with islands
Etymology

Noun

Old English stōd

Noun

Old English studu

More from Merriam-Webster on stud

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