nub
Americannoun
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the point, gist, or heart of something.
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a knob or protuberance.
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a lump or small piece.
a nub of coal; a nub of pencil.
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a small mass of fibers produced on a card, dyed brilliant colors, and introduced into yarn during the spinning process.
noun
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a small lump or protuberance
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a small piece or chunk
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the point or gist
the nub of a story
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a small fibrous knot in yarn
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of nub
1585–95; < Low German, Middle Low German knubbe; cf. knob
Explanation
A nub is a little piece of something, especially one that sticks out. The raised rubber buttons on your TV remote control are nubs. Tiny lumps or bits are nubs, like the nubs on tree branches that will become buds in the spring, or the nubs on a crocheted blanket, little woven bumps. Another kind of nub is the heart or essence of something: one incriminating piece of evidence might be the nub of a judge's decision in a case. The "lump" meaning is older, stemming from knob, while the "essence" meaning dates from the nineteenth century.
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 money will fund Nub Play, a streaming platform, which Pocket Gods said would guarantee to pay artists and songwriters a minimum of 1p per stream.
From BBC • Oct. 4, 2022
Not many people know that Nub Nelson’s real first name is Michael.
From New York Times • Apr. 12, 2021
At Colquitt, he told Nub Nelson, boosters sweetened his salary with an additional $4,500 a month, picking up his truck and cellphone payments and part of his mortgage.
From New York Times • Apr. 12, 2021
Nub of the President's case was that if Germany claimed territory in the Western Hemisphere, the U. S. would invoke the Monroe Doctrine.
From Time Magazine Archive
“I tink de duck done now,” observed Nub, who had been employed during the discussion in giving the roast a few more turns.
From The South Sea Whaler by Groome, William H. C.
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.
