spud

1 of 2

verb

spudded; spudding

transitive verb

1
: to dig with a spud
2
: to begin to drill (an oil well)

intransitive verb

: to use a spud

spud

2 of 2

noun

1
: a tool or device (as for digging, lifting, or cutting) having the characteristics of a spade and a chisel
2

Examples of spud in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
When the ice is thicker than four to five inches, nobody wants to keep spudding or drilling new holes every time the fish move on. The Editors, Field & Stream, 22 Nov. 2019 The old days of spudding a hole in a foot of ice and huddling and freezing over it for hours on an upturned five-gallon pail are just that—the old days. The Editors, Field & Stream, 22 Nov. 2019
Noun
For the crispy potatoes, Black specially selected a spud variety for its sugar, starch, and water content, and they’re then cooked three times—steamed, fried, baked—to achieve a shattering crunch and pillowy interior. Matteo Wong, The Atlantic, 18 Apr. 2024 Call it a spud spat or tater tiff, but in the back offices of the U.S. Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee, there is talk of removing the potato’s designation as a vegetable and recategorizing it as a grain. San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 Apr. 2024 Not your average roasted potatoes:Try the viral crispy garlic and Parmesan spuds Questions or comments? Robin Miller, The Arizona Republic, 11 Apr. 2024 Anybody who’s dressed a vinegary potato salad while the spuds are still warm knows what happened next: The broccoli, its cells open like pores during a steamy facial, absorbed the flavors of the dressing into every nook and cranny. Joe Yonan, Washington Post, 24 Mar. 2024 Unfortunately, Bening's spud stint isn't easy to track down today. Skyler Caruso, Peoplemag, 9 Mar. 2024 Their options before that were: A. Grating spuds by hand, with unpleasant potential for knuckle scraping. Bonnie S. Benwick, Charlotte Observer, 31 Jan. 2024 Its convection heat gets the spuds buttery and creamy on the inside and crispy on the outside. Karla Walsh, Better Homes & Gardens, 28 Dec. 2023 Get The Recipe 11 Crispy Potatoes Pair all-purpose potatoes with sweet potatoes for a more interesting version of weeknight roasted spuds. Southern Living Editors, Southern Living, 24 Oct. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'spud.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English spudde dagger

First Known Use

Verb

1652, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Noun

1667, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of spud was in 1652

Dictionary Entries Near spud

Cite this Entry

“Spud.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/spud. Accessed 1 May. 2024.

Kids Definition

spud

noun
ˈspəd

Medical Definition

spud

noun
: any of various small surgical instruments with a shape resembling that of a spade
use of a spud to remove a foreign object from the eye

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