Link Centre Dictionary

spud

UK/spʌd/ US/ˈspʌd/ uncommon informal obsolete slang us
noun (2) verb (2)

noun

1.
2.

a sharp hand shovel for digging out roots and weeds

Synonyms

verb

1.

initiate onsite drilling operations, as for petroleum

  • “The well was spudded in April”
2.

produce buds, branches, or germinate

  • “the potatoes sprouted”
Synonyms

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.

Phrases

  • bark spud
  • love spud
  • sofa spud
  • spud bashing
  • spud cocky
  • spud gun
  • spud head
  • spud washer

Related words

Word family

Broader terms

Narrower terms

Parts

Part of

Related verbs

WordNet 2.1 (Princeton University). Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). CMU Pronouncing Dictionary. WordNet 2.1 Copyright Princeton University. All rights reserved. Wiktionary content is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike Licence.