stub

1 of 2

noun

ˈstəb 

1

a

: stump sense 2

b

: a short piece remaining on a stem or trunk where a branch has been lost

2

: something made or worn to a short or blunt shape

especially : a pen with a short blunt nib

3

: a short blunt part left after a larger part has been broken off or used up

a pencil stub

4

: something cut short or stunted

5

a

: a small part of a leaf (as of a checkbook) attached to the spine for memoranda of the contents of the part torn away

b

: the part of a ticket returned to the user

stub

2 of 2

verb

stubbed; stubbing

transitive verb

1

a

: to grub up by the roots

b

: to clear (land) by grubbing out rooted growth

c

: to hew or cut down (a tree) close to the ground

2

: to extinguish (something, such as a cigarette) by crushing

3

: to strike (one's foot or toe) against an object

Synonyms of stub

Noun

• remainder
• scrap
• remnant

Examples of stub in a Sentence

Noun

Hold onto your ticket stub in case you leave the theater and want to come back in again.

an ashtray full of cigarette stubs

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

SeatGeek boasts the cheapest ticket on this list, coming out to $189 for a stub to the second to last show. —Katie Decker-Jacoby, StyleCaster, 24 Apr. 2026

Scorebooks also provide game-goers with proof of attendance—or at least evidence of having watched from home—when physical ticket stubs no longer exist to play a similar role. —Jacob Feldman, Sportico.com, 24 Apr. 2026

Verb

Dipping sauces altered the fate of uneaten pizza crusts, making eating the sauceless, cheeseless stubs something to look forward to. —Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 22 Apr. 2026

Conservators later found burn marks on the walls where people had stubbed out their cigarettes. —Judith Shulevitz, The Atlantic, 9 Apr. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English stubb, from Old English stybb; akin to Old Norse stūfr stump, Greek stypos stem

First Known Use

Noun

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

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing stub

• pay stub
• stub one's toe

Rhymes for stub

• bub
• club
• cub
• dub
• grub
• hub
• nub
• pub
• rub
• scrub
• shrub
• snub

Kids Definition

stub

1 of 2 noun

ˈstəb 

1

: stump entry 1 sense 2

2

: a pen with a short blunt point

3

: a short part left after a larger part has been broken off or used up

a pencil stub

4

a

: a small part of a check kept as a record of the contents of the check

b

: the part of a ticket returned to the user

stub

2 of 2 verb

stubbed; stubbing

1

: to put out (as a cigarette) by crushing

2

: to strike (as one's toe) against an object