stub

¹

[ stuhb ]

noun

1. a short projecting part.
2. a short remaining piece, as of a pencil, candle, or cigar.
3. (in a checkbook, receipt book, etc.) the inner end of each leaf, for keeping a record of the content of the part filled out and torn away.
4. the returned portion of a ticket.
5. the end of a fallen tree, shrub, or plant left fixed in the ground; stump.
6. something having a short, blunt shape, especially a short-pointed, blunt pen.
7. stub nail.
8. something having the look of incomplete or stunted growth, as a horn of an animal.
9. Bridge. a part-score.

verb (used with object)

, stubbed, stub·bing.

1. to strike accidentally against a projecting object:

   I stubbed my toe against the step.

2. to extinguish the burning end of (a cigarette or cigar) by crushing it against a solid object (often followed by out ):

   He stubbed out the cigarette in the ashtray.

3. to clear of stubs, as land.
4. to dig up by the roots; grub up (roots).

stub

²

[ stuhb ]

adjective

1. stocky; squat.

stub

/ stʌb /

noun

1. a short piece remaining after something has been cut, removed, etc

   a cigar stub

2. the residual piece or section of a receipt, ticket, cheque, etc
3. the part of a cheque, postal order, receipt, etc, detached and retained as a record of the transaction Also called (in Britain) counterfoil
4. any short projection or blunted end
5. the stump of a tree or plant

verb

1. to strike (one's toe, foot, etc) painfully against a hard surface
2. usually foll by out to extinguish (a cigarette or cigar) by pressing the end against a surface
3. to clear (land) of stubs
4. to dig up (the roots) of (a tree or bush)

Other Words From

• stubber noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of stub¹

First recorded before 1000; Middle English noun stubb(e), Old English stybb, stubb, stebb “tree stump”; cognate with Middle Low German, Middle Dutch stubbe, Old Norse stubbi; akin to Old Norse stūfr “stump”; the verb is derivative of the noun

Origin of stub²

First recorded in 1705–15; special use of stub ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of stub¹

Old English stubb; related to Old Norse stubbi, Middle Dutch stubbe, Greek stupos stem, stump

Example Sentences

All of them were undocumented during their employment, and some shared texts, emails, pay stubs and other documents.

From New York Times

And the expressive Garfield can convey water-eyed empathy so deftly that you know Tobias would be laid low if Almut so much as stubbed her toe on the leg of a coffee table.

From Los Angeles Times

The following month, after a member of the congregation took up the position of treasurer, it was discovered the cheque stub for the £10,000 transaction bore the name Northern Ireland Organs Limited.

From BBC

Most of the ex-employees who spoke to The Times said they found it odd that they never received pay stubs.

From Los Angeles Times

Runs were devilishly difficult to come by, yet England looked to have control until Brook stubbed a return catch to Jayasuriya.

From BBC