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Added 9 October 2026

spud

/spʌd/ noun

noun Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about spud at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

A potato. .mw-parser-output .defdate{font-size:smaller}
A hole in a sock.
A type of short nut (fastener) threaded on both ends.

verb

To dig up weeds with a spud.
To begin drilling an oil well; to drill by moving the drill bit and shaft up and down, or by raising and dropping a bit.
To remove the roofing aggregate and most of the bituminous top coating by scraping and chipping.

proper noun

A game for three or more players, involving the gradual elimination of players by throwing and catching a ball.

Origin

From Middle English spudde (“small knife”). Origin unknown; probably related to Danish spyd, Old Norse spjót (“spear”), German Spieß (“spear; spike; skewer”). Compare English spit (“sharp, pointed rod”). The use of the term for a potato perhaps first appeared in New Zealand and Australian dialect and slang.

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

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