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Meaning & use

put to stud

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UK/ˌpʊt tə ˈstʌd/
US/ˌpʊt tə ˈstʌd/

Meanings

  1. phrasefixed phrasetechnical

    To arrange for a male horse to be kept for breeding rather than for racing or work.

    Grammar: Usually passive: the stallion is put to stud by his owner, not 'puts himself'.

    Patterns

    • put a horse to stud
    • be put to stud
    • put someone's horse to stud

    After his last race the champion was put to stud at a farm in Kentucky.

    They put the grey to stud once his jumping career ended.

    The owner decided to put the colt to stud rather than race him again.

  2. phrasefixed phrasetechnical

    To take a female horse to a particular male horse so that she can be mated.

    Grammar: Here the pattern is put a mare to a stallion; the object is the female animal.

    Patterns

    • put a mare to a stallion
    • put a mare to stud
    • be put to a stallion

    The mare was put to a well-known stallion last spring.

    They put her to stud after she failed to win any races.

    Farmers often put their best mares to a proven stallion.

  3. phrasefixed phrasetechnical

    To keep an animal for breeding instead of using it for work or sport.

    Grammar: Used more loosely about dogs, cattle and other animals; still sounds technical.

    Patterns

    • put an animal to stud
    • be put to stud

    The farm put its best bull to stud two years ago.

    Once the dog won a major show, his owners put him to stud.

Common combinations

put a horse to stud
The trainer put the horse to stud after a leg injury.
be put to stud
He was put to stud at the age of five.
put a mare to a stallion
They put the mare to a stallion from a nearby yard.
a stud farm
The foal was born on a stud farm in Ireland.
a stud fee
Owners pay a stud fee for each mating.
retire to stud
The gelding never retired to stud because geldings cannot breed.

Synonyms and how they differ

stand at stud
Used of the male horse himself: a stallion stands at stud, while put to stud describes what the owner does.
breed
A general verb for producing young animals; put to stud is narrower and names the mating arrangement.

Word family

stud noun
A male horse kept for breeding, or a farm where such horses are kept.
studbook noun
An official record of the parents of purebred horses.
stallion noun
An adult male horse, especially one used for breeding.
mare noun
An adult female horse.

Commonly confused: put to stud or put out to stud? put to stud or stud?

put to stud vs put out to stud

This longer form is also common and means the same thing; learners sometimes add 'out' by mistake in the shorter phrase, which is normally just put to stud.

put to stud vs stud

As a noun, stud can also mean a small metal button on clothing or a kind of earring, so context decides which meaning is intended.

Practice

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