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 Web
Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2024
The leather feels substantial, not cheap in the slightest, and the buckle and studs are the ideal size—just bold enough to stand out without veering into trend victim territory.
—Laura Lajiness Kaupke, Glamour, 30 Oct. 2024
Esther Newman, refinery29.com, 23 Oct. 2024
But southern Oregon has found a way: a four-day trek through a swath of wilderness in the Rogue River Valley studded with remote lodges beyond the reach of the digital world.
—Shoshi Parks, Smithsonian Magazine, 8 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for stud 
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Noun
With their two stud receivers back, the Rams keep on winning.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2024
The leather feels substantial, not cheap in the slightest, and the buckle and studs are the ideal size—just bold enough to stand out without veering into trend victim territory.
—Laura Lajiness Kaupke, Glamour, 30 Oct. 2024
Verb
The velvet upper contrasts with buckled, studded leather straps, while the detachable ribbon tie — reminiscent of a ballerina’s pointe shoe — is at odds with the extra chunky platform sole.
—Esther Newman, refinery29.com, 23 Oct. 2024
But southern Oregon has found a way: a four-day trek through a swath of wilderness in the Rogue River Valley studded with remote lodges beyond the reach of the digital world.
—Shoshi Parks, Smithsonian Magazine, 8 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for stud
Dictionary Entries Near stud
Cite this Entry
“Stud.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stud. Accessed 26 Nov. 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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