NUB

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does nub mean? 

• NUB (noun)
  The noun NUB has 3 senses:

1. a small lump or protuberance

2. a small piece

3. the choicest or most essential or most vital part of some idea or experience

  Familiarity information: NUB used as a noun is uncommon.

 Dictionary entry details 

• NUB (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

A small lump or protuberance

Classified under:

Nouns denoting two and three dimensional shapes

Synonyms:

nub; nubble

Hypernyms ("nub" is a kind of...):

bulge; bump; excrescence; extrusion; gibbosity; gibbousness; hump; jut; prominence; protrusion; protuberance; swelling (something that bulges out or is protuberant or projects from its surroundings)

Derivation:

nubby (of textiles; having a rough surface)

Sense 2

Meaning:

A small piece

Classified under:

Nouns denoting natural objects (not man-made)

Synonyms:

nub; stub

Context example:

a stub of a pencil

Hypernyms ("nub" is a kind of...):

part; piece (a portion of a natural object)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "nub"):

nubbin (a small nub (especially an undeveloped fruit or ear of corn))

Sense 3

Meaning:

The choicest or most essential or most vital part of some idea or experience

Classified under:

Nouns denoting cognitive processes and contents

Synonyms:

center; centre; core; essence; gist; heart; heart and soul; inwardness; kernel; marrow; meat; nitty-gritty; nub; pith; substance; sum

Context example:

the nub of the story

Hypernyms ("nub" is a kind of...):

cognitive content; content; mental object (the sum or range of what has been perceived, discovered, or learned)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "nub"):

bare bones ((plural) the most basic facts or elements)

hypostasis ((metaphysics) essential nature or underlying reality)

haecceity; quiddity (the essence that makes something the kind of thing it is and makes it different from any other)

quintessence (the purest and most concentrated essence of something)

stuff (a critically important or characteristic component)