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

For a century, chemical engineers had two knobs, temperature and pressure. —Kapil Kajal, Interesting Engineering, 23 Sep. 2025

Adjusting the height between two different frame points is easier, with a pull-knob lock similar to the bench adjustments of conventional weight machines. —PC Magazine, 23 Sep. 2025

Protect Hardware When Painting Painting can result in a real mess when stray streaks and drips land on handles, knobs, and pulls. —Hallie Milstein, Southern Living, 23 Sep. 2025

In the center of the console were three domed knobs; as Castelli turned these, ever so gently, with the finesse of a safecracker, the impact of the images was altered. —Anthony Lane, New Yorker, 22 Sep. 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