spud
pronunciation
How to pronounce spud in British English:
UK [spʌd]
How to pronounce spud in American English:
US [spʌd]
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- Noun:
- an edible tuber native to South America; a staple food of Ireland
- a sharp hand shovel for digging out roots and weeds
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- Verb:
- initiate onsite drilling operations, as for petroleum
- produce buds, branches, or germinate
Word Origin
- spud (n.)
- mid-15c., "small or poor knife," of uncertain origin probably related to Danish spyd, Old Norse spjot "spear," German Spiess "spear, lance"). Meaning "spade" is from 1660s; sense of "short or stumpy person or thing" is from 1680s; that of "potato" is first recorded 1845 in New Zealand English.
Example
- 1. But it \ 's not the only one hailing the qualities of the dirty spud .
- 2. Will you start to spud in next week ?
- 3. The three gorgon sisters have escaped and captured spud and trixie .
- 4. Indeed the book , like the tuber it describes , fills a void : the spud now has the biography it deserves .