knob

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. A rounded protuberance, especially one arising from a flat surface; a fleshy lump or caruncle.
  2. A rounded control switch that can be turned on its axis, designed to be operated by the fingers.
  3. A ball-shaped part of a handle, lever, etc., designed to be grabbed by the hand.
  4. A rounded ornament on the hilt of an edged weapon; a pommel.
  5. A prominent, rounded bump along a mountain ridge.
  6. A prominent rounded hill.
  7. A woman's breast.
  8. The penis; dick.
  9. The head of the penis; the glans.
  10. A contemptible person; a dick.
  11. The clitoris.
  12. A dollop, an amount just larger than a spoonful (usually referring to butter).
verb
  1. protrude
  2. furnish or produce with a knob, knobble
  3. To have sex with.

Pronunciation

nŏb /nɒb/ En-uk-knob.ogg /nɑb/ Knob (English US).wav

Word forms

knob knobs knobbing knobbed

Etymology

From Middle English knobbe, from Middle Low German knobbe (“knob, knot in wood, bud”), probably ultimately from a variant of Proto-Germanic *knappô (“knob, lump”), one of several kn- words related to *knudaną (“to knead”). Compare Middle Dutch knobbe, cnoppe, Middle Low German knobbe (“knob, knot in wood”), knubbe, Dutch knop (“knob, button, bud”), Old Frisian knopp, knapp, Old High German knopf (“bud, pommel of a sword, knot, loop”), Middle High German knospe, German Knopf (“button, knob”), Knospe (“bud”), Danish knap (“button”), knop (“knob, button, bud”), Faroese knappur (“button”), Icelandic hnappur (“button”), Norn knapp (“round button”), knubbi (“potato”), snapp (“knob, round top”), Norwegian and Swedish knapp (“button”), Norwegian knopp (“bud”), Swedish knopp (“bud, knob”), Finnish nappi (“button, knob”), nuppi (“knob, pommel”), Old Norse knyfill (“short horn”). Also compare Middle English knap, knappe (“small projection, knob (button, tassel, tuft, etc.), hill, hilltop, etc.)”), from Old English cnæp, cnæpp (“summit, top”), which is possibly related to Old Norse knappr (“small projection, knob (button, head of a stick, etc.)”) (whence English knop), from Proto-Germanic *knappô (“knob, lump”), *knuppô (“lump, clod”). Cognate with Dutch knob, knobbel (“knob”), German Knubbe, Knubbel (“knob”). See also knop. For the sense of a rounded hill, see nab and knab.

Translations

Armenian: բռնակ Catalan: pom Catalan: mànec Czech: otočný knoflík Czech: kolečko Czech: čudlík Dutch: knop Esperanto: anso Finnish: nuppi French: poignée French: bouton French: pommeau French: nœud Galician: mazá Georgian: სახელური Georgian: კოპი German: Knopf German: Knauf Ancient Greek: τύλος Indonesian: kenop Italian: maniglia Italian: manopola Italian: pomello Latin: bulla Latin: nodus Māori: reke Māori: pūreke Māori: kou Māori: tīngoingoi Māori: whakangarengare Māori: pūrori Māori: tone Mongolian: иш Polish: gałka Portuguese: calombo Russian: ру́чка Russian: вы́пуклость Serbo-Croatian: kvrga Spanish: perilla Spanish: asa Turkish: topuz Irish: pilibín
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