Nubble
/ˈnʌbəl/noun
A small lump, knob, or protuberance, especially in dialectal English.
Did you know?Nubble is a dialectal diminutive of nub, showing how English can turn a blunt physical lump into a separate, vividly tactile word.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*knubbō
“A reconstructed word associated with a knob, lump, or rounded protuberance.”
Middle English
Middle English
nubbe
“A small lump, knot, or protuberance.”
14th–15th Century
English
nub
“A projecting lump or compact mass.”
Early Modern English
English
nubble
“A small nub or little lump, formed with a diminutive ending.”
Modern English
English
nubble
“A chiefly dialectal small lump, knob, or protuberance.”