noun
nub
NUB/nʌb/
A small projecting or remaining piece.
The tight central nub of rope stands out from the loose knot.
Etymology
Dialectal knub, probably a variant of knob, supplied the image of a lump or bump. The meaning shifted from a physical point to the essential “point” or gist of a matter.
In context
So what’s the difference? This gets right to the nub of the matter. A publisher chooses the content that resides on its site.
More examples
- Rubber nubs cover the bottom of the mat.
- She colors the sky with a blue crayon nub.
- A nub of broken branch sticks out from the trunk.
Forms
nub · nubs
nubby adjective — Covered with small raised lumps or bumps.