Short and thick, in a way that looks a bit clumsy or unlovely. Used of legs, fingers, a tail, a tower, a bottle — anything that seems too short for how wide it is. The word carries a small judgement: 'short fingers' is neutral, 'stumpy fingers' is not quite a compliment. But how unkind it sounds depends completely on who is speaking. Said about a dog, a duckling or a baby it is often affectionate — a corgi's stumpy legs are part of why people love corgis. Said about an adult's body, it stings, so English speakers avoid it there unless they mean to be rude or are laughing at themselves. It is informal and quite descriptive, the kind of word you meet in a story rather than in a report. You can also use it of a whole person's shape: 'a stumpy little man' — squat, low to the ground, wide.