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
Locke wore an all-black designer outfit, while Connor — dressed in a light blue striped button-down over a white tank and khakis — had traded Nick’s signature floppy hair for designer stubble.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 17, 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
The problem is attributed to a mix of factors such as industrial emissions, vehicle exhaust, dropping temperatures, low wind speeds and the seasonal burning of crop stubble in neighbouring states.
From BBC ● Dec. 15, 2025
And there’s stubble on his cheeks, like he can’t find the energy to shave.
From "South of Somewhere" by Kalena Miller
Definitions 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.
