nub

American  

[nuhb] / nʌb /

Or knub

noun

1. the point, gist, or heart of something.

2. a knob or protuberance.

3. a lump or small piece.

   a nub of coal; a nub of pencil.

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

---

nub British  

/ nʌb /

noun

1. a small lump or protuberance

2. a small piece or chunk

3. the point or gist

   the nub of a story

4. a small fibrous knot in yarn

---

Other Word Forms

• nubbly adjective

Etymology

Origin of nub

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

Example Sentences

However, a judge ordered the council to re-look at the complaint, saying it had not considered the nub of the matter - whether the fouling constituted a "statutory nuisance".

From BBC

He jotted down this bon mot with his pencil nub.

From Literature

Roz carefully opened the lid and examined its contents: a collection of farming magazines, a pair of leather gloves, a pencil nub.

From Literature

But voices were growing for stronger action, saying the monarch was failing to get at the nub of the problem: in the public’s eye, the disgraced prince continues to live…well, like a prince.

From The Wall Street Journal

When resting, it appears as a small white nub between their eyes, but when raised, it becomes a hooked, barbed organ covered in teeth.

From Science Daily

Related Words

• crux
• upshot