What does stubble mean?
Stubble is the short, rough growth of hair that remains after a person shaves or trims their beard. In everyday conversation, it commonly describes the visible hair on a man's chin and jaw, often with the implication that the person has not yet shaved. The word can also refer to the short stalks of cereal crops left in a field after the grain has been harvested. Stubble therefore links two familiar forms of residue: the remains of grooming and the remains of a crop. It is useful because it distinguishes a light beard growth from both a fully developed beard and a completely smooth, shaved face. Its agricultural sense is more technical but firmly established, especially in descriptions of fields, farming, and land management.
Short, rough hair remaining on the chin, cheeks, or jaw after shaving or trimming.
"His two-day stubble made him look as though he had just woken up."
Commonly used for the facial hair of a man, though it can be used more broadly in modern usage.
The short stalks of grain left standing in a field after harvest.
"She walked through the stubble, collecting a few ears of wheat left behind by the harvester."
A technical agricultural term, also used figuratively for what remains after a crop is gathered.
The plural is uncommon in the facial-hair sense but can refer to separate areas of stubble or, in agricultural contexts, patches or fields of crop stubble.
"The workers cleared the remaining stubbles from the field."
The same word describes the rough shadow on a bearded face and the golden stalks left standing after a harvest.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does stubble come from?
Stubble is derived from stub, an older English word meaning a stump or a short projecting piece, with the suffix -le forming the noun. The underlying word relates to the shortened remainder of something after cutting or removal. In the facial-hair sense, the modern meaning developed by extension from a short projecting growth to the hair left after shaving.
Related word forms
How stubble is actually used
In its usual facial-hair sense, stubble is usually associated with a recently shaved or poorly shaved man and can sound slightly informal or mildly disapproving, depending on context. In agriculture, it is a standard technical term for crop stalks remaining after harvest.
Easily confused with stubble
A stub is a short, projecting piece of something such as a cigarette, branch, or pen, whereas stubble is a growth of short hair or the stalks of grain left after cutting.