Knob
/nɒb/noun
A rounded lump or protuberance, or a projecting handle used for turning or grasping.
Did you know?In older English, related forms could mean a knotty swelling or a rounded boss, and the word’s blunt, physical shape is exactly what survived into modern speech.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*knubô-
“a lump, swelling, or rounded mass”
Old English
OE
cnob
“a knob, lump, or swelling”
Middle English
ME
knobbe
“a rounded protuberance or lump”
16th Century
English
knob
“a rounded projection or lump”
Modern English
English
knob
“a rounded protuberance or a handle for turning”