nub
or knub
[nuhb]
- 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.
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Origin of nub
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
Related Words
crux, upshot, heart, substance, meat, kernel, nitty-gritty, essence, point, pith, short, basic, nucleus, nubbin, node, knob, bulge, swelling, protuberance, lumpExamples from the Web for nub
Contemporary Examples
Crippling weight loss and the task of adjusting to life as a single mom nearly wore me to a nub.
Or you could go whole hog like Nub Sweeney and just wear overalls.
Historical Examples
In vain the mate and Nub looked around on every side in the hope of seeing it.
The South Sea WhalerW.H.G. Kingston
“Ay, Massa Shobbrok, you can never pray for too much,” said Nub.
The South Sea WhalerW.H.G. Kingston
Nub gazed at the creature, but his courage did not fail him.
The South Sea WhalerW.H.G. Kingston
“I no tink we lose our dinner, though,” said Nub, as he got to the bottom.
The South Sea WhalerW.H.G. Kingston
“We go to get fresh water, and be back soon wid it,” said Nub as they passed.
The South Sea WhalerW.H.G. Kingston
nub
- a small lump or protuberance
- a small piece or chunk
- the point or gistthe nub of a story
- a small fibrous knot in yarn
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Word Origin
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
n.
"knob, lump, bump," 1590s, variant of dialectal knub, probably a variant of knob. Figurative meaning "point, gist" first recorded 1834.
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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper