stud

1 of 4

noun (1)

ˈstəd 

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 noun

stud farms

2

: stud horse

Next day, the stud was led from his stall and turned into the breaking pen.

—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

… She's All That, in which high school stud Freddie Prinze Jr. transforms dork Rachel Leigh Cook into a beauty queen.

—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

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

… the team will look to start over at the position with a young stud. …

—Adam Cloutier

—often used before another noun

The conventional spoon-feeding of the young stud pitcher calls for strict pitch counts and early exits.

—Tim Keown

5

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

a 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

When I was dealing I usually proposed five-card stud, a rudimentary game in which one's luck is quickly determined.

—Hayden Carruth

see also at stud

stud

2 of 4

noun (2)

1

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

stud

3 of 4

verb

studded; studding

transitive verb

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

stud

4 of 4

abbreviation

student

Synonyms of stud

Noun (1)

• hunk
• womanizer
• superstud
• fox
• eyeful
• beefcake

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

Noun

The couple went a bit more casual for the film's Hollywood premiere, he in a turtleneck, she in Giambattista Valli Haute Couture and Lorraine Schwartz studs. —Alex Apatoff, PEOPLE, 4 Feb. 2026

Michigan lost more key guys up front on defense, though Whittingham got a big win when stud pass-rusher John Henry Daley followed him to Ann Arbor. —Stewart Mandel, New York Times, 4 Feb. 2026

Verb

That means hairstyles studded with gemstones and pearls, gemstones sparkling across Robbie's cheeks, and braids tied together with passion-red ribbons. —Kara Nesvig, Allure, 3 Feb. 2026

Halfway through, Ratner picks up what seems to be Melania’s father’s Super 8 camera and never puts it down, so the latter part of the film is studded with grainy handheld scenes of helicopters and Arlington National Cemetery. —Sophie Gilbert, The Atlantic, 30 Jan. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English stod, from Old English stōd; akin to Old Church Slavic stado flock and probably to Old High German stān to stand — more at stand

Noun (2)

Middle English stode, from Old English studu; akin to Middle High German stud prop, Old Norse stoth post

First Known Use

Noun (1)

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Noun (2)

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

circa 1506, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing stud

• at stud
• five-card stud
• press stud
• stud book
• stud horse
• stud muffin

Rhymes for stud

• blood
• bud
• crud
• dud
• flood
• mud
• rud
• scud
• spud
• thud
• lifeblood
• youngblood

Kids Definition

stud

1 of 3 noun

ˈstəd 

1

: 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 noun

1

: 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