stubble

[stuhb-uh l]

See more synonyms for stubble on Thesaurus.com

noun

Usually stubbles. the stumps of grain and other stalks left in the ground when the crop is cut.
such stumps collectively.
any short, rough growth, as of beard.

Origin of stubble

1250–1300; Middle English stuble < Old French estuble < Vulgar Latin *stupula, Latin stipula stipule

Related formsstub·bled, stub·bly, adjectiveun·stub·bled, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for stubble

Contemporary Examples

After a few years of stubble, the lumberjack whiskers returned, now dyed black.
Learning To Fear Dodger Pitcher Brian Wilson’s Beard
Sujay Kumar
October 16, 2013
There was lots of heavy makeup,” Sheppard says, “to cover up the stubble.
‘Shit Girls Say’: Kyle Humphrey and Graydon Sheppard Spin Book From Meme
Anna Klassen
September 18, 2012
He dips his brush into the green paint and giggles, saying that my stubble makes this harder.
Macaulay Culkin’s Life After Fame
Ramin Setoodeh
June 19, 2012
He compliments us on our stubble, and we are pleased by this.
Oscars 2011: Red Carpet and Vanity Fair Party Photos
Jacob Bernstein
February 27, 2011
First, 60-year-old white men should never dance alone at a public gathering—he was about as smooth as five-day stubble.
The Clown Prince of Wall Street
Randall Lane
August 18, 2010

Historical Examples

The vast host shall be to us, he cried, as "stubble is to fire."
The Man Shakespeare
Frank Harris
All up the Valley the drums' rattle drowned the drone of the locusts in the stubble.
In the Valley
Harold Frederic
One position held by Austrians for hours was in a stubble field.
The Story of the Great War, Volume II (of VIII)
Various
Shrieking, I hurled free of him, and rolled over the tail-board on to the stubble.
The Golden Age
Kenneth Grahame
And he had been as stubble before the wind—as chaff that the storm carrieth away!
The Christian
Hall Caine

British Dictionary definitions for stubble

stubble

noun

1. the stubs of stalks left in a field where a crop has been cut and harvested
2. (as modifier)a stubble field
any bristly growth or surface

Derived Formsstubbly, adjective

Word Origin

C13: from Old French estuble, from Latin stupula, variant of stipula stalk, stem, stubble

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for stubble

n.

c.1300, "stumps of grain stalks left in the ground after reaping," from Old French estuble "stubble" (French éteule), from Latin stupla, reduced form of stipula "stalk, straw;" related to stipes "trunk, stick." Applied from c.1600 to bristles on a man's unshaven face.

stubble

Origin of .css-1fxfie5{font-size:22px;}@media (max-width:768px){.css-1fxfie5{font-size:18px;margin:0 10px 10px 0;word-break:break-all;word-wrap:break-word;-webkit-hyphens:auto;-moz-hyphens:auto;-ms-hyphens:auto;hyphens:auto;line-height:22px;}}stubble

Examples from the Web for stubble

Contemporary Examples

After a few years of stubble, the lumberjack whiskers returned, now dyed black.

There was lots of heavy makeup,” Sheppard says, “to cover up the stubble.

He dips his brush into the green paint and giggles, saying that my stubble makes this harder.

He compliments us on our stubble, and we are pleased by this.

First, 60-year-old white men should never dance alone at a public gathering—he was about as smooth as five-day stubble.

Historical Examples

The vast host shall be to us, he cried, as "stubble is to fire."

All up the Valley the drums' rattle drowned the drone of the locusts in the stubble.

One position held by Austrians for hours was in a stubble field.

Shrieking, I hurled free of him, and rolled over the tail-board on to the stubble.

And he had been as stubble before the wind—as chaff that the storm carrieth away!

stubble

Word Origin

Word Origin and History for stubble

n.

Origin of stubble