nub

noun

ˈnəb 

1

: knob, lump

2

: nubbin

3

: gist, point

the nub of the problem

Synonyms

• blob
• chunk
• clod
• clot
• clump
• dollop
• glob
• gob
• gobbet
• hunk
• knob
• lump
• nubble
• nugget
• wad

Examples of nub in a Sentence

The dog chewed his bone down to a nub.

The shoes have little nubs on the bottom that prevent you from slipping.

Recent Examples on the Web

My favorite component may have been the peach gum, small amber nubs of a chewy, sticky substance I was told came from the sap of a peach tree. —Jenn Harris, Los Angeles Times, 22 July 2024

If your partner is open to it, explore gentle sucking around their nub and even directly on it, Dr. O’Reilly says. —Erica Sloan, SELF, 18 June 2024

Kevin Purdy Step 3: Remove the battery (technically unnecessary, but wise), loosen a clamp holding up the handlebar, then fold it down onto the frame, letting a nub tuck into a locking notch. —Kevin Purdy, Ars Technica, 7 June 2024

Top-panel radiator space extends 285mm from the card brackets to the front radiator bracket, but screw-hole nubs sticking out near the slots reduces the actual smooth mounting space to 274mm. —PCMAG, 21 Apr. 2024

Word History

Etymology

alteration of English dialect knub, probably from Low German knubbe

First Known Use

1696, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing nub

• the nub

Kids Definition

nub

noun

ˈnəb 

1

: knob sense 1a, lump

2

: the main point of a matter

the nub of the story