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

nu soul, nu-, nu-metal, nu-value, nuance, nub, nuba, nubain, nubbin, nubble, nubbly

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 Forms

nubbly, 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

nub

or knub

noun

RELATED WORDS

Nearby words

Origin of nub

Examples from the Web for nub

British Dictionary definitions for nub

nub

noun

Derived Forms

Word Origin for nub