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Synonyms

nubbin

American  
[nuhb-in] / ˈnʌb ɪn /

noun

  1. a small lump or stunted piece; stub.

  2. a small or imperfect ear of corn.

  3. an undeveloped fruit.

nubbin British  
/ ˈnʌbɪn /

noun

  1. something small or undeveloped, esp a fruit or ear of corn

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of nubbin

1685–95, perhaps nub + -in, variant of -ing 1

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The charity said Knobble's nickname was due to a "knobbly nubbin" on top of his dorsal fin.

From BBC • Oct. 26, 2023

Then continue, as “impossibly, without anyone moving him, he bent forward and climbed unsteadily onto his little nubbin legs. The empty sleeve of his puppet hole hung behind him like a tail.”

From Washington Post • Jan. 11, 2023

This month, 192 giant lasers blasted a small cylinder about the size of a pencil eraser that contained a frozen nubbin of hydrogen encased in diamond.

From New York Times • Dec. 13, 2022

When it healed, I could feel a small nubbin of metal.

From The New Yorker • Aug. 16, 2015

“Here, poor nubbin, now we will just lead you out of doors again where you belong—” Before she could say more, a terrible growling sound filled the room.

From "The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place: Book I: The Mysterious Howling" by Maryrose Wood

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.