knob

noun

ˈnäb 

1

a

: a small rounded ornament or handle

b

: a rounded protuberance : lump

2

: a rounded usually isolated hill or mountain

knobbed

ˈnäbd 

adjective

knobby

ˈnä-bē 

adjective

Synonyms

• chunk
• hunk
• clump
• wad
• glob
• lump

Examples of knob in a Sentence

a carved walking stick with a silver knob

toss a knob of butter into the frying pan

Recent Examples on the Web

Try removing the knob and spray some electrical contact cleaner down the shaft of the knob. —John Paul Senior Manager Public Affairs and Traffic Safety Aaa Northeast, Hartford Courant, 10 Aug. 2025

Tactile switches, knobs, and handles also help connect Scout drivers with their vehicle. —Dennis Lewon, Outside Online, 25 July 2025

The compact hanging pouch simply attaches to the knob of the seatback tray table, and it’s made with a slip-resistant design to stay firmly in place throughout the flight. —Merrell Readman, Travel + Leisure, 20 July 2025

This iconic mic sounds great, looks great, and features quality physical controls like a volume knob to help you fine-tune your sound. —Simon Hill, Wired News, 12 July 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English knobbe; akin to Middle Low German knubbe knob

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1b

Phrases Containing knob

• stop knob

Rhymes for knob

• blob
• bob
• cob
• daub
• fob
• glob
• gob
• hob
• job
• lob
• mob
• rob

Kids Definition

knob

noun

ˈnäb 

1

a

: a rounded lump

b

: a small rounded handle

2

: a rounded hill

knobbed

ˈnäbd 

adjective

knobby

ˈnäb-ē 

adjective

Medical Definition

knob

noun

ˈnäb 

: a rounded protuberance or lump

knobby

ˈnäb-ē 

adjective