nubby

American

[nuhb-ee] / ˈnʌb i /

Also nubbed,

adjective

nubbier, nubbiest

having nubs; knobby or lumpy.

nubby British

/ ˈnʌbɪ /

adjective

having small lumps or protuberances; knobbly

"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

Etymology

Origin of nubby

First recorded in 1875–80; nub + -y ¹

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.

“It was a big opportunity to come to America because Korea is very small,” Han says in Korean while continuing to draft with his nubby yellow #2 pencil.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 12, 2025

You want the fastest, easiest way to get that pile of evanescently sweet, nubby cobs on the table, ready for butter-slathering and gleeful chomping.

From Seattle Times • Aug. 6, 2023

Stone ground mustards bring great flavor and an appealing nubby texture, since some or all of the seeds are left intact or just slightly crushed.

From Washington Times • Jun. 2, 2023

A nubby gray couch cushion provided the photo backdrop for the Badgley Mischka heels I purchased from Facebook Sinema.

From Slate • Dec. 15, 2022

Tiny teeth, shut eyes, Beatrix Potter whiskers, French-mustardy fur, maroon scab, nubby spinal bone.

From "Black Swan Green" by David Mitchell

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023