nub

noun

ˈnəb 

1

: knob, lump

2

: nubbin

3

: gist, point

the nub of the problem

Synonyms of nub

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

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

Frank Senior was a barber who dreamed of being a singer, a nasty cur who beat his two sons and verbally whittled them down to a nub. — Los Angeles Times, 29 Sep. 2026

Healthy teeth are ground down to nubs to make room for veneers. — Danielle Pergament, Allure, 29 Sep. 2026

Roasted vegetables, nubs of cheese, those scraps left on the roast chicken carcass—all fair game. — Emma Laperruque, Bon Appetit Magazine, 27 July 2026

My review unit came with silicone nubs that slip onto the stems and direct sound towards my ears. — New Atlas, 17 July 2026

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

Rhymes for nub

• bub
• club
• cub
• dub
• grub
• hub
• pub
• rub
• scrub
• shrub
• snub
• stub

Kids Definition

nub

noun

ˈnəb 

1

: knob sense 1a, lump

2

: the main point of a matter

the nub of the story