stub
stub — noun
- stubsingular
- stubsplural
1. The short bit that stays behind after someone uses or tears off most of an objec
The short bit that stays behind after someone uses or tears off most of an object — for instance, the leftover tip from a smoked cigarette, the slip torn from a concert ticket as proof of purchase, or a pencil worn down until it is difficult to hold.
Lakan crushed his cigarette stub into the ashtray before leaving the train.
collocation: cigarette stub
Dahlia kept the ticket stub from the concert as a souvenir of her first live show.
collocation: ticket stub
The cashier handed Pedro a pay stub showing how much money had been taken for tax.
Noor tried to sharpen the pencil stub but the lead kept breaking off inside the sharpener.
An old bus ticket stub fell out of the library book when Jenna opened it.
- butt
more common for a cigarette stub, slightly informal
- counterfoil
formal term for the part of a cheque or ticket you keep as a record
- remnant
formal, used for any leftover piece of fabric or material
- whole
the complete item before anything was used or torn off
用法筆記
Often combined with a preceding noun that tells you what kind of stub: cigarette stub, ticket stub, cheque stub, pay stub, pencil stub.
常見錯誤
2. A short piece of a branch that sticks out from a tree trunk after the rest of th
A short piece of a branch that sticks out from a tree trunk after the rest of the branch has broken off or been cut away.
Felipe brushed against the tree trunk and a sharp branch stub scratched his arm.
collocation: branch stub
Marta noticed several small stubs where the gardener had trimmed the lower limbs the week before.
The old oak had a thick stub left where a huge limb had snapped off during the winter storm.
Vivek had to saw off each stub on the fence line before the new fence panels could go up.
用法筆記
Less common than 'stump', which refers to the short part of a tree still in the ground after the trunk has been cut. A 'stub' is specifically a short branch remnant on a trunk.
stub — verb
- stubpresent simple I / you / we / they
- stubs3rd person singular
- stubbing-ing form
- stubbedpast simple
1. To accidentally hit your toe or foot against something hard — such as a piece of
To accidentally hit your toe or foot against something hard — such as a piece of furniture, a step, or a rock — causing sudden pain.
Yan stubbed his bare toe on the corner of the bedroom door in the dark.
pattern: stub + toe + on + object
Eitan cried out when he stubbed his toe against the heavy metal leg of the kitchen table.
Ife stubbed her toe on the edge of the pavement and had to sit down on the bench.
Be careful not to stub your toe on that stack of bricks beside the garage steps.
Lakan stubbed his toe against a buried root while running across the field at dusk.
文法句型
stub + possessive + toe/foot + against/on + hard object
用法筆記
Almost always used with 'toe' as the object — you stub your toe, not your finger or knee. The pattern is 'stub + possessive + toe + against/on + object'.
常見錯誤
2. To stop a cigarette or cigar from burning by pressing the lit end firmly against
To stop a cigarette or cigar from burning by pressing the lit end firmly against a hard surface such as an ashtray, a wall, or the ground.
Pedro stubbed his cigarette out in the metal ashtray before going back inside the shop.
phrasal verb: stub + object + out
Dahlia carefully stubbed out the match against the cold stone of the fireplace.
alternate order: stub out + object
The driver stubbed his cigar into the car ashtray before pulling up to the petrol pump.
After one last puff, Lakan stubbed the cigarette into the sand with the heel of his shoe.
- extinguish
formal term; can refer to any fire, not just cigarettes
- put out
everyday alternative, more general than stub out
- snuff out
slightly old-fashioned, suggests pressing with the fingers
文法句型
stub + cigarette/cigar + out + in/on/into + surface
用法筆記
The particle 'out' is optional but very common. 'Stub out' is the usual form; without 'out' you usually need a location phrase ('stubbed it in the ashtray').
3. To dig or pull unwanted plants, weeds, or roots out of the ground by hand or wit
To dig or pull unwanted plants, weeds, or roots out of the ground by hand or with a tool; to clear an area of land by removing roots and stumps so it can be used for planting.
The farmer spent the whole morning stubbing up weeds from the vegetable patch with a hoe.
phrasal verb: stub up + weeds + from + location
The farmer hired a machine to stub roots out of land untouched for years.
Vivek stubbed the old rose bushes out of the garden to make space for a new flower bed.
Before planting the rice, the villagers had to stub the entire hillside of thorny scrub.
Noor's grandfather used to stub stubborn weeds out of the clay soil by hand every spring.
- plant
to put plants or seeds into the ground
文法句型
stub + up + plant/weed/root
stub + land/field/ground + of roots
用法筆記
This sense is chiefly British and most often used in farming or gardening contexts. Many modern speakers use 'dig up' or 'uproot' instead in everyday conversation.