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

The best Caesar dressing gets textural interest from cracks of peppercorn and nubs of Parmesan cheese. —Sam Stone, Bon Appétit, 13 Feb. 2025

The pig’s mouth revealed its ordinary sharp, tusk-like canines saddled up beside smaller, slightly more human-looking teeth nubs. —Mack Degeurin, Popular Science, 7 Feb. 2025

Barely a nub of bald rock and surrounded by far more imposing cliffs, this broad perch is not a difficult climb and makes an exquisite viewing platform of the town and the changing colors of the rocks. —Roger Naylor, The Arizona Republic, 18 Oct. 2024

After grinding down these five victims to a nub Roy could move on to audial twin Michael Cohen. —Greg Marotta, New York Daily News, 12 Jan. 2025

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