Definition of the word stub

The word "stub" originated in the early 19th century and was initially used to describe the burnt end of a piece of coal that had been removed from a fire. The term "stub" came from the Old Norse word "stappr," meaning "thing placed," which was used to describe a small, remaining piece. In the context of newspapers and magazines, "stub" emerged in the late 1800s to refer to the leftover portion of a page that remained after the larger, advertising-filled sections had been cut out. The term "stub" began to be used in a more colloquial sense to describe any small, remaining portion of something larger, such as a ticket stub, a book stub, or a software program stub. The software programming term "stub" emerged in the 1960s as a way to refer to a small, basic version of a program that replaced the more complex, fully functional version during testing. With this stub in place, system errors could be isolated and the program could be more easily debugged. Over time, the term "stub" has come to be used in a variety of contexts, from acorns left behind by oak trees to short articles left over from a publication's editorial process. While the origins of the term may be simple, its versatility and adaptability have earned it a place in a wide range of contemporary vocabulary, both technical and everyday.