spud

1 of 2

verb

ˈspəd 

spudded; spudding

transitive verb

1

: to dig with a spud

2

: to begin to drill (an oil well)

intransitive verb

: to use a spud

spud

2 of 2

noun

1

: a tool or device (as for digging, lifting, or cutting) having the characteristics of a spade and a chisel

2

: potato sense 2b

Examples of spud in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

When the ice is thicker than four to five inches, nobody wants to keep spudding or drilling new holes every time the fish move on. —The Editors, Field & Stream, 22 Nov. 2019

The old days of spudding a hole in a foot of ice and huddling and freezing over it for hours on an upturned five-gallon pail are just that—the old days. —The Editors, Field & Stream, 22 Nov. 2019

Noun

Next, a different team on a second ship—the clearance vessel—equipped with spud legs (stakes that hold the ship in place) will use a hydraulic crane equipped with cameras to extract larger munitions, including those with corrupted casings, and drop them into undersea receptacles. —Paul Hockenos, Smithsonian Magazine, 10 Sep. 2024

Par-cooking the potatoes makes for tender spuds without the long roasting time. —Cameron Beall, Southern Living, 16 Sep. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English spudde dagger

First Known Use

Verb

1652, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Noun

1667, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

spud

noun

ˈspəd

: potato sense 2b

Medical Definition

spud

noun

ˈspəd 

: any of various small surgical instruments with a shape resembling that of a spade

use of a spud to remove a foreign object from the eye