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
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Verb
The boys spudded as many holes as Michigan law allows, the tip-ups were set up, and the hooks were baited. Erwin A. Bauer, Outdoor Life, 25 Dec. 2024 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
Here are a few of my favorite recipes starring this tasty, easy-going spud. Josh Miller, Southern Living, 12 Oct. 2025 Lay’s were made out of the spuds. Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 10 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for spud

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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Spud.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/spud. Accessed 18 Oct. 2025.

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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