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 nounWendy Insingerstud farms
2
: stud horse
Next day, the stud was led from his stall and turned into the breaking pen.—Dave Jones
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
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
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
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
Joe Menzer… the team will look to start over at the position with a young stud. …—Adam Cloutier
—often used before another nounAdam CloutierThe conventional spoon-feeding of the young stud pitcher calls for strict pitch counts and early exits.—Tim Keown
Tim Keown5
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
Rebecca Fergusona 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
Sandra R. GreggWhen I was dealing I usually proposed five-card stud, a rudimentary game in which one's luck is quickly determined.—Hayden Carruth
Hayden Carruth1
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
studded; studding
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
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
Joan BirdsallSynonyms
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 WebJulissa James, Los Angeles Times, 13 May 2024
Gere sidled up to Schrader and complimented the director on Hawke’s minimalist performance, his acting stripped to the studs.
—Stephen Rodrick, Variety, 9 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for stud 
Noun
The collection has eight pieces total, including necklaces, hoops, studs, rings, bracelets and lariats, set in sterling silver and recycled 18-karat gold.
—Julissa James, Los Angeles Times, 13 May 2024
Gere sidled up to Schrader and complimented the director on Hawke’s minimalist performance, his acting stripped to the studs.
—Stephen Rodrick, Variety, 9 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for stud
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'stud.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near stud
Cite this Entry
“Stud.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stud. Accessed 29 May. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
stud
1 of 3 noun1
: 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 noun1
: 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
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