Stubby describes something that is short and thick at the same time — not just short, but short in a way that looks a bit too wide for its length. It is the word for a baby's stubby fingers, a stubby pencil worn down to almost nothing, a stubby little bottle of beer, a dog with stubby legs. There is nearly always a feeling attached to it, and the feeling depends on what you are describing. For babies, puppies and small objects it sounds affectionate, even cute. For an adult's body — 'his stubby fingers', 'stubby legs' — it is not a compliment, so be careful using it about people. The word comes from stub, meaning the short bit left over when most of something has been used or broken off, and you can still hear that in it: a stubby thing often looks like what is left after something longer was cut short. In Australia, 'a stubby' is also the ordinary name for a short fat bottle of beer, and there the noun is completely friendly.