stubble

noun

stub·​ble ˈstə-bəl How to pronounce stubble (audio)
often attributive
1
: the basal part of herbaceous plants and especially cereal grasses remaining attached to the soil after harvest
2
: a rough surface or growth resembling stubble
especially : a short growth of beard
stubbled adjective
stubbly adjective

Examples of stubble in a Sentence

He ran his hand over his stubble.
Recent Examples on the Web Rolling through the Big West Conference tournament last week had made Monson a Cinderella with stubble, a Jim Valvano without the Italian accent. Houston Mitchell, Los Angeles Times, 22 Mar. 2024 Scalp your turf to remove browned leaf stubble killed by this winter’s cold. Neil Sperry, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 1 Mar. 2024 And while there are newer Panasonic models out there, the Arc 5 still holds up as a reliable shaver that can mow through your stubble with ease. Christian Gollayan, Men's Health, 1 June 2023 Kerem Shalom, Israel CNN — Angry Israelis cut across a field of stubble to try to get around a police blockade to disrupt shipments of food and supplies intended for Gaza. Clarissa Ward, CNN, 8 Mar. 2024 That depletes water tables and brings the kind of stubble burning that helps pollute Delhi’s air every autumn. Suhasini Raj, New York Times, 14 Feb. 2024 Getting hair at the root eliminates uncomfortable and unsightly stubble from razors and trimmers, leaving you with the ultimate feeling of confidence and power. Miami Staff, Miami Herald, 30 Jan. 2024 Body hair removal creams are one of these methods as their creamy, lotion-like formulas work sort of like magic to lift away unwanted stubble. Jessie Quinn, Peoplemag, 2 Jan. 2024 Unlike electric razors, which cut hair at the skin’s surface, these devices won’t lead to stubble. Abbie Kozolchyk, wsj.com, 17 Oct. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'stubble.' 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

Middle English stuble, from Anglo-French estuble, from Latin stupula stalk, straw, alteration of stipula — more at stipule

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of stubble was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near stubble

Cite this Entry

“Stubble.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stubble. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

stubble

noun
stub·​ble ˈstəb-əl How to pronounce stubble (audio)
1
: the stem ends of herbs and especially cereal grasses remaining attached to the ground after harvest
2
: a rough surface or growth resembling stubble
stubbly adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on stubble

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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