a boss, knob, nailhead, or other protuberance projecting from a surface or part, especially as an ornament.
any of various buttonlike, usually ornamental objects, mounted on a shank that is passed through an article of clothing to fasten it.
a collar stud.
any of a number of slender, upright members of wood, steel, etc., forming the frame of a wall or partition and covered with plasterwork, siding, etc.
any of various projecting pins, lugs, or the like, on machines or other implements.
Automotive. any of a large number of small projecting lugs embedded in an automobile tire studded tire to improve traction on snowy or icy roads.
an earring consisting of a small, buttonlike ornament mounted on a metal post designed to pass through a pierced ear lobe.
Horology. the piece to which the fixed end of a hairspring is attached.
to set with or as if with studs, bosses, or the like.
The leather-covered door was studded with brass nails.
(of things) to be scattered over the expanse or surface of.
Stars stud the sky.
to set or scatter (objects) at intervals over an expanse or surface.
to stud raisins over a cake.
to furnish with or support by studs.
a studhorse or stallion.
an establishment, such as a farm, in which horses are kept for breeding.
a number of horses, usually for racing or hunting, bred or kept by one owner.
a male animal, such as a bull or ram, kept for breeding.
a herd of animals kept for breeding.
Slang.
a man who is notably virile and sexually active.
a handsome man with an attractive physique; a hunk.
a young man.
Poker. stud poker.
a Black woman or girl, especially a lesbian, who embraces identity markers, such as clothing, hairstyle, interests, or behaviors that are associated with traditional expressions of masculinity.
Masculine women are my type so I've dated a lot of studs.
of, associated with, or pertaining to a studhorse or studhorses.
retained for breeding purposes.
noting or relating to a Black woman or girl, especially a lesbian, who embraces identity markers, such as clothing, hairstyle, interests, or behaviors, that are associated with traditional expressions of masculinity; butch.
There's a lot of stud lesbians in the club tonight!
a large-headed nail or other projection protruding from a surface, usually as decoration
a type of fastener consisting of two discs at either end of a short shank, used to fasten shirtfronts, collars, etc
building trades a vertical member made of timber, steel, etc, that is used with others to construct the framework of a wall
a headless bolt that is threaded at both ends, the centre portion being unthreaded
any short projection on a machine, such as the metal cylinder that forms a journal for the gears on a screw-cutting lathe
the crossbar in the centre of a link of a heavy chain
one of a number of rounded projections on the sole of a boot or shoe to give better grip, as on a football boot
to provide, ornament, or make with studs
to dot or cover (with)
the park was studded with daisies
building trades to provide or support (a wall, partition, etc) with studs
a group of pedigree animals, esp horses, kept for breeding purposes
any male animal kept principally for breeding purposes, esp a stallion
a farm or stable where a stud is kept
the state or condition of being kept for breeding purposes
at stud
put to stud
(modifier) of or relating to such animals or the place where they are kept
a stud farm
a stud horse
slang a virile or sexually active man
short for stud poker
First recorded before 900; Middle English stod(e), stud(e), “upright post; ornamental knob,” Old English stod, studu “stake, post”; cognate with Middle High German stud, Old Norse stoth “pillar, post, support”
First recorded before 1000, and in 1920–25 stud 2 for def. 6; Middle English stod(e), stud(e), Old English stōd “a stud, herd of horses,” cognate with Old Norse stōth; akin to stand
A stud is a metal piece that sticks out, usually for decoration. You might have studs spelling out "Mom" on your leather jacket. Straight, simple earrings — a single pearl on a straight post, for instance — are also called studs. There are a few meanings of stud that you should know if you are an equestrian or in construction. A stud is a male horse used for breeding, and it’s also slang for a macho he-man. If you want to hang a heavy mirror on a wall, you have to find the studs — the upright boards behind the wall — and hammer your nails into the studs, so the nails are anchored to something solid so they can support the weight of the mirror.
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The vast majority of the estimated 4,000-7,000 Akhal-Tekes worldwide are in Turkmenistan's state-run stud farms.
From Barron's ● Jun. 5, 2026
“They were in a stretch right there where every single day, they were getting a stud hurt. They put together a winning streak against the Tigers, then Clay Holmes has the comebacker break his ankle.”
From Los Angeles Times ● May 20, 2026
And in February, as snow melted around the “No Industrial Solar” signs that stud the long country roads, a circuit court judge ruled that St. Clair County’s health regulation is “invalid, null, and void.”
From Salon ● Apr. 27, 2026
"The footprints of craftworking buildings were found along with evidence for different stages of production, including the creation of vellum, pigments for the pages and glass stud mounts for the cover and bindings," she said.
From BBC ● Mar. 25, 2026
She wore a dangling earring on one ear and a shiny, false gold stud on the other.
From "Purple Hibiscus" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
“Nothing boutique, nothing nuanced, just the stud. Jalen Lewis comes in, and he’s recognized on the national level, the U.S.A. Basketball level. It got easier from there.”
From New York Times ● Nov. 30, 2021
“When you see Scott Eastwood in this movie, running and gunning, you gotta remember this dude has got a broken ankle and he’s a bit of a stud. Just like his dad,” he jokes.
From Seattle Times ● Jul. 2, 2020
“When you see Scott Eastwood in this movie, running and gunning, you gotta remember this dude has got a broken ankle and he’s a bit of a stud. Just like his dad,” he jokes.
From Washington Times ● Jul. 2, 2020
“Back in the mid-2000s,” Sherwood Coach Sean Davis said, “if you played Legion as a freshman, you were an absolute stud. Now most of my freshmen could play Legion.”
From Washington Post ● Jul. 26, 2017
Smile pretty, everybody," Garlock said, and pressed a stud. "... the matter?
From The Galaxy Primes by Smith, E. E. (Edward Elmer)
Players often have to ditch the molded cleats they typically use for cleats with longer, detachable studs when playing outside the U.S.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 9, 2026
On that night, in Kansas City, Messi lunged for a ball and raked his studs on the calf of an Algerian defender.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 2, 2026
Sulaman: "That's a clear red card for Kai Havertz, studs right behind the heel and very dangerous play."
From BBC ● May 18, 2026
She strolls in without makeup, fresh red hair dye staining her scalp, three glittering studs on her teeth that she flashes while talking as though she’s not being recorded.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 15, 2026
It contained the pearl studs that Katie had given him for a wedding present.
From "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn" by Betty Smith
The AI leaderboard has been studded with swift rerankings as the technology rapidly evolves.
From MarketWatch ● Apr. 26, 2026
They met at a Tusk fundraising event, when she bought a pink silver studded gorilla art piece created by Wood's wife.
From BBC ● Apr. 5, 2026
The incomparable star is a vision in studded white or powder-blue jumpsuits—cavorting, emoting, karate-chopping and spreading the bat wings of his sewn-on cape in a move that never fails to thrill the audience.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 19, 2026
Glinting under the exhibition centre lights, the gold brooch studded with gemstones on the startup founder's lapel was handmade by Indian artisans -- but artificial intelligence dreamt up its elaborate design.
From Barron's ● Feb. 18, 2026
She also had on faded black jeans and a pair of studded combat boots.
From "Ready Player One: A Novel" by Ernest Cline
Williams gave Pruitt information about her family and her relationship to tennis history that he has embedded, such as studding the swirling beads with the birthstones of her siblings.
From New York Times ● Nov. 1, 2022
Scientists expect more genetic changes that affect parts of the spike protein studding the surface of the virus, letting it attach to human cells.
From Seattle Times ● Sep. 6, 2022
But Ferreira found that people who carry a specific variant of the ACE2 gene have about 39 percent fewer receptors for the protein studding their cellular surfaces.
From Scientific American ● May 18, 2022
This fantasy's purpose wasn't to make these fetes more desirable by studding them with stars, but to accurately suss out the source of a performer's charisma.
From Salon ● Apr. 17, 2022
The base was X-shaped, walnut-sized brass balls studding the ring where the metallic legs crossed.
From "The Kite Runner" by Khaled Hosseini
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.
