Studding
/ˈstʌd.ɪŋ/noun
The act of setting or decorating with studs; also a nautical term for adding extra sail area on a ship.
Did you know?The nautical sense comes from a ship’s “studding sails,” extra sails set beyond the regular ones to squeeze more speed from the wind.
Etymological Timeline
Old English
OE
studu
“a post, support, prop”
Old English
OE
studdian
“to support, prop up”
Middle English
ME
stodden/studden
“to set with studs; to strengthen with supports”
Early Modern English
English
studding
“the act of decorating or reinforcing with studs”
18th Century
English
studding sail
“an extra sail set outside the principal sails to catch more wind”
Modern English
English
studding
“the act of fitting with studs or, in nautical use, setting studding sails”