Plain English Meaning
A metal pin with threads on both ends. One end screws permanently into a part, and a nut goes onto the other end to hold something against it.
Full Definition
A headless threaded fastener, typically threaded on both ends, that is permanently installed into a parent part (such as an engine case or cylinder) so that another component can be secured over it with a nut. One end is threaded into the base material; the other end accepts the nut that holds the attached part in place.
Context Anchor
Seen in aircraft maintenance, especially around wheels, engines, exhaust systems, and places where parts are bolted onto a fixed surface.
Derivation
From Old English 'studu', meaning a post or upright support. The fastener is named for the way it stands up out of the parent material like a small post, ready to receive a nut.
Why Pilots Care
Loose or failed studs can allow engine components such as cylinders to loosen, leading to loss of compression or catastrophic engine failure.
Analogy
A stud is similar to a bolt with no head that is already fixed in place. Instead of turning the whole bolt, you slide the part over the stud and tighten a nut onto it.
Intuition Check
Do not read stud here as a decorative button, an animal, or a wall-framing piece. In aircraft maintenance, a stud is a fixed threaded metal fastener used to hold parts together.
Example Sentence 1
The mechanic torqued each cylinder hold-down nut onto its stud in the proper sequence.
Example Sentence 2
A cracked stud was discovered during the preflight inspection of the engine mount bolts.