stud1

 
Pronunciation: /stʌd/

noun

  • 1a large-headed piece of metal that pierces and projects from a surface, especially for decoration.
  • a small, simple piece of jewellery for wearing in pierced ears or nostrils: [as modifier]: diamond stud earrings
  • a fastener consisting of two buttons joined with a bar, used in formal wear to fasten a shirt front or to fasten a collar to a shirt: a collar stud
  • (usually studs) British a small projection fixed to the base of footwear, especially sports boots, to allow the wearer to grip the ground: his knee was cut by the Grimsby striker’s studs
  • (usually studs) a small metal piece set into the tyre of a motor vehicle to improve roadholding in slippery conditions.
  • a small object projecting slightly from a road surface as a marker: lines of reflector studs down the middle of a motorway
  • 2an upright timber in the wall of a building to which laths and plasterboard are nailed: lath and plaster on timber studs
  • US the height of a room as indicated by the length of a timber wall stud.
  • 3a rivet or crosspiece in each link of a chain cable.

verb (studs, studding, studded)

[with object]
  • decorate or augment (something) with many studs or similar small objects: a dagger studded with precious diamonds
  • scatter or cover (something) with many small objects or features: the sky was clear and studded with stars

Origin:

Old English studu, stuthu 'post, upright prop'; related to German stützen 'to prop'. The sense 'ornamental metal knob' arose in late Middle English