nubbin

[ nuhb-in ]

noun

1. a small lump or stunted piece; stub.
2. a small or imperfect ear of corn.
3. an undeveloped fruit.

nubbin

/ ˈnʌbɪn /

noun

1. something small or undeveloped, esp a fruit or ear of corn

Word History and Origins

Origin of nubbin¹

1685–95, Americanism; perhaps nub + -in, variant of -ing ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of nubbin¹

C19: diminutive of nub

Example Sentences

The charity said Knobble's nickname was due to a "knobbly nubbin" on top of his dorsal fin.

From BBC

Then continue, as “impossibly, without anyone moving him, he bent forward and climbed unsteadily onto his little nubbin legs. The empty sleeve of his puppet hole hung behind him like a tail.”

From Washington Post

This month, 192 giant lasers blasted a small cylinder about the size of a pencil eraser that contained a frozen nubbin of hydrogen encased in diamond.

From New York Times

It’s a tough pangram, and the answer list had “incubi,” “nubbin,” “bluebell,” “leucine” and “nucleic.”

From New York Times

The settings with vibration are still pretty strong, so you’d be limited to two patterns where the nubbin moves around mimicking a tongue without vibrating.

From Slate

Related Words

• fruit
• grain
• meat
• morsel
• nut