nub

or knub

[ nuhb ]

/ nʌb /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR nub ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

the point, gist, or heart of something.

a knob or protuberance.

a lump or small piece: a nub of coal; a nub of pencil.

a small mass of fibers produced on a card, dyed brilliant colors, and introduced into yarn during the spinning process.

Nearby words

Origin of nub

1585–95; < Low German, Middle Low German knubbe; cf. knob

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for nub

Crippling weight loss and the task of adjusting to life as a single mom nearly wore me to a nub.
My Fight to Stop My Divorce|Beverly Willett|August 28, 2010|DAILY BEAST
Or you could go whole hog like Nub Sweeney and just wear overalls.
The Best "Pants on the Ground" Covers|The Daily Beast Video|January 18, 2010|DAILY BEAST
Nub got out some of the blubber, which the rest of the party swallowed without making faces.
The South Sea Whaler|W.H.G. Kingston
But oh, Nub, do you think papa and Walter can have been on board?
The South Sea Whaler|W.H.G. Kingston

And, having drawn all possible satisfaction from the other's amazement, he sprang the nub of his joke with a grin.
Where the Pavement Ends|John Russell
A common suffering united him and Nub, and when they could they helped each other.
The South Sea Whaler|W.H.G. Kingston
Nub seized hold of the bows, while Walter jumped in, and with his cap began to bail out the water.
The South Sea Whaler|W.H.G. Kingston

British Dictionary definitions for nub

nub

/ (nʌb) /

noun

a small lump or protuberance

a small piece or chunk

the point or gistthe nub of a story

a small fibrous knot in yarn

Derived Formsnubbly, adjective

Word Origin for nub

C16: variant of knub, from Middle Low German knubbe knob

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

Word Origin and History for nub