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Stud vs Stead - What's the difference?

stud | stead |

As nouns the difference between stud and stead

is that stud is a male animal, especially a stud horse (stallion), kept for breeding or stud can be a small object that protrudes from something; an ornamental knob while stead is (label) a place, or spot, in general.

As verbs the difference between stud and stead

is that stud is to set with ; to furnish with studs while stead is to help; to support; to benefit; to assist.

stud

English

Etymology 1

(etyl) .

Noun

(en noun)
  • A male animal, especially a stud horse (stallion), kept for breeding.
  • A female animal, especially a studmare (broodmare), kept for breeding.
  • A group of such animals.
  • * Macaulay
    • He had the finest stud in England, and his delight was to win plates from Tories.
  • * Sir W. Temple
    • In the studs of Ireland, where care is taken, we see horses bred of excellent shape, vigour, and size.
  • An animal (usually livestock) that has been registered and is retained for breeding.
  • A place, such as a ranch, where such animals are kept.
  • (colloquial) A sexually attractive male; also a lover in great demand.
    • Synonyms
    * (sexually attractive male) he-man, hunk * (male animal) sire
    Derived terms
    * studbook * studding * studly * stud puppy

    Etymology 2

    (etyl) studu .

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A small object that protrudes from something; an ornamental knob.
    • a collar with studs
  • * Marlowe
    • A belt of straw and ivy buds, / With coral clasps and amber studs .
  • * Milton
    • Crystal and myrrhine cups, embossed with gems / And studs of pearl.
  • (jewelry) A small round earring.
    • She's wearing studs in her ears.
  • (construction) A vertical post, especially one of the small uprights in the framing for lath and plaster partitions, and furring, and upon which the laths are nailed.
  • (obsolete) A stem; a trunk.
  • * Spenser
    • Seest not this same hawthorn stud ?
  • (poker) A type of poker where an individual cannot throw cards away and some of her cards are exposed (also stud poker).
  • (engineering) A short rod or pin, fixed in and projecting from something, and sometimes forming a journal.
  • (engineering) A stud bolt.
  • An iron brace across the shorter diameter of the link of a chain cable.
    • Derived terms
    * studded

    Verb

    (studd)
  • To set with ; to furnish with studs.
  • To be scattered over the surface of (something) at intervals.
  • * 2012 , Antony Cooke, Dark Nebulae, Dark Lanes, and Dust Belts , page 82:
    • [S]eemingly countless young hot stars stud the entire huge central region[.]
  • To set (something) over a surface at intervals.
  • * 2010 , Rose Levy Beranbaum, Rose's Heavenly Cakes :
    • Stud the cake all over with chocolate chips, pointed ends in.

    References

    *

    Anagrams

    * English terms with multiple etymologies ----

    stead

    English

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • (label) A place, or spot, in general.
  • *1590 , Edmund Spenser, The Faery Queene , II:
  • *:For he ne wonneth in one certaine stead , / But restlesse walketh all the world around.
  • (label) A place where a person normally rests; a seat.
  • *1633 , P. Fletcher, Purple Island :
  • *:There now the hart, fearlesse of greyhound, feeds, / And loving pelican in safety breeds; / There shrieking satyres fill the people's emptie steads .
  • (label) A specific place or point on a body or other surface.
  • *, Bk.VII:
  • *:Thus they fought two houres& in many stedys they were wounded.
  • (label) An inhabited place; a settlement, city, town etc.
  • (label) An estate, a property with its grounds; a farm.
  • *1889 , H. Rider Haggard, Allan's Wife :
  • *:But of course I could not do this by myself, so I took a Hottentot—a very clever man when he was not drunk—who lived on the stead , into my confidence.
  • (label) The frame on which a bed is laid; a bedstead.
  • *(John Dryden) (1631-1700)
  • *:The genial bed / Sallow the feet, the borders, and the stead .
  • *1818 , Jane Austen, Persuasion :
  • *:She was so wretched and so vehement, complained so much of injustice in being expected to go away instead of Anne; Anne, who was nothing to Louisa, while she was her sister, and had the best right to stay in Henrietta's stead !
  • *2011 , "Kin selection", The Economist , 31 March:
  • *:Had Daniel Ortega not got himself illegally on to this year’s ballot to seek a third term, his wife might have run in his stead .
  • Figuratively, an emotional or circumstantial "place" having specified advantages, qualities etc. (now only in phrases).
  • *2010 , Dan van der Vat, The Guardian , 19 September:
  • *:Though small and delicate-looking, she gave an impression of intense earnestness and latent toughness, qualities that stood her in good stead when she dared to challenge the most intrusive communist society in eastern Europe.

    • Derived terms

    * bedstead * homestead * in good stead * in one's stead * instead * sunstead * workstead

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To help; to support; to benefit; to assist.
  • * 1610 , , act 1 scene 2
    • Some food we had and some fresh water that / A noble Neapolitan, Gonzalo, / Out of his charity,—who being then appointed / Master of this design,—did give us, with / Rich garments, linens, stuffs, and necessaries, / Which since have steaded much: [...]
  • To fill place of.

    • Anagrams

    * (l), (l), (l), (l), (l)