stubble
Americannoun
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Usually stubbles. the stumps of grain and other stalks left in the ground when the crop is cut.
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such stumps collectively.
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any short, rough growth, as of beard.
noun
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the stubs of stalks left in a field where a crop has been cut and harvested
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( as modifier )
a stubble field
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any bristly growth or surface
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of stubble
1250–1300; Middle English stuble < Old French estuble < Vulgar Latin *stupula, Latin stipula stipule
Explanation
Stubble is the prickly hair that grows back after being shaved. You might find stubble on a man's chin or on a woman's leg. Stubble is a very specific kind of hair: hair that's been shaved but has grown back a little bit after a few days. On a man's face, stubble isn't quite a beard yet: the hair is short. Stubble feels rough, and it can be itchy. Although some men like the stubble look, most men usually go one way or the other: grow out a beard or shave the stubble off. You can also have stubble anywhere hair has been shaved.
Vocabulary lists containing stubble
The Watsons Go to Birmingham
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My Brother Sam is Dead
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The Midwife's Apprentice
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Various reports say about one-third of American men are fully bearded, with the numbers inching toward half if you count goatees and heavy stubble.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 3, 2026
Years of efforts to tackle the problem, including work-from-home policies and rules on crop stubble burning, have done little to alleviate the issue.
From Barron's ● Dec. 28, 2025
His stubble had grown into a wispy beard.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 15, 2025
Police said the attacker is described as a white man with blonde stubble who spoke with a Scottish accent.
From BBC ● May 29, 2025
A company of horsemen soon appeared and began to make camp in the stubble field beyond the orchard.
From "The Black Cauldron" by Lloyd Alexander
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Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
