nub Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. noun a small lump or protuberance
    nubble.
  2. noun a small piece
    stub.
    • a nub of coal
    • a stub of a pencil
  3. noun the choicest or most essential or most vital part of some idea or experience
    kernel; substance; center; centre; nitty-gritty; essence; sum; meat; heart; pith; heart and soul; core; inwardness; marrow; gist.
    • the gist of the prosecutor's argument
    • the heart and soul of the Republican Party
    • the nub of the story

WordNet

Nub transitive verb
Etymology
Cf. Knob.
Definitions
  1. To push; to nudge; also, to beckon. Prov. Eng.
Nub noun
Definitions
  1. A jag, or snag; a knob; a protuberance; also, the point or gist, as of a story. Colloq.

Webster 1913