stub
stub
UK[stʌb]US[stʌb]
n
the short remaining part of something, such as a pencil, cigarette, or tree, after the main part has been used or broken off.
n
the small, counterfoil part of a ticket, receipt, or cheque, kept as a record.
v
to accidentally hit your toe or foot against something hard.
Etymology
the word "stub" originates from old english "stubb" or "stybb," meaning the stump of a tree. this term has germanic cognates, such as middle dutch "stubbe" and old norse "stubbr," all pointing to a common proto-germanic root "stubb-," which conveyed the sense of something short, blunt, or truncated. the core semantic concept of a short, remaining piece has remained remarkably consistent from its ancient roots to its modern applications, extending from tree stumps to ticket counterfoils. the verb sense, meaning to strike one's toe against something, naturally evolved from the notion of encountering a blunt, obstructive object.
Analysis
the word is a simplex of old english origin. it functions as a complete lexical unit.
Examples
he wrote a note with a pencil stub.
remember to keep your ticket stub as proof of purchase.
i stubbed my toe on the leg of the coffee table.