'nut-studded' originates from Modern English, specifically the compound of 'nut' and the past participle 'studded' (from the verb 'stud'), where 'nut' meant the edible seed and 'stud' meant to ornament or fix studs onto a surface.

'nut' comes from Old English 'hnutu' (from Proto-Germanic '*hnut-'); 'stud' as a verb and noun developed in Germanic/Old English contexts referring to a projecting ornament or fixing device; the compound 'nut-studded' was formed in Modern English by combining these elements to describe something bearing nuts.

Initially a straightforward compound describing items with nuts attached; over time the phrase has kept that basic sense of being decorated or covered with nuts.