What does "knob" mean?
A rounded protuberance, especially one arising from a flat surface; a fleshy lump or caruncle.
Knob
/nɒb/ noun, verb, slang
noun, verb, slang ·Common ·Middle school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A rounded protuberance, especially one arising from a flat surface; a fleshy lump or caruncle.
- Grammar: knob is listed as noun, verb, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: adjust dial, adjuster, anthill, ball.
- Useful contrasts: joysticks, slider, sliders.
- Usage evidence: Turn the knob and open the door.
How to use "knob"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "knob" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "knob" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "knob" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "knob" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "knob" is acting as noun, verb, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "adjust dial" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "knob", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A rounded protuberance, especially one arising from a flat surface; a fleshy lump or caruncle.
- 2 a round handle wordnet
- 3 A rounded control switch that can be turned on its axis, designed to be operated by the fingers.
- 4 a circular rounded projection or protuberance wordnet
- 5 A ball-shaped part of a handle, lever, etc., designed to be grabbed by the hand.
Show 13 more definitions
- 6 an ornament in the shape of a ball on the hilt of a sword or dagger wordnet
- 7 A rounded ornament on the hilt of an edged weapon; a pommel.
- 8 any thickened enlargement wordnet
- 9 A prominent, rounded bump along a mountain ridge.
- 10 A prominent rounded hill. Appalachia
"We climbed to the top of Slate Hill, the highest knob in our town, and Ricky gave me a whole talk on how slate formed, how it was and was not shale."
- 11 A woman's breast. in-plural, slang
- 12 The penis; dick.; The head of the penis; the glans. slang
- 13 The penis; dick.; A contemptible person; a dick. broadly, derogatory, slang
"Arthur slammed his fist down on the table so hard, the cup jumped, spilling coffee. The rotten bastard means to have the guvnor’s guts. That fucking knob has never been on a live deployment in his entire life.[…]"
- 14 The clitoris. slang, vulgar
"A hot and strong sexual odour emanated from her fanny. I extended my head and pressed my nose between her lips. I pushed my tongue into her crack and lapped up the juices. [...] Then I moved up and grasped her long clitoris in my lips and began to suck and play with it with my tongue. She thrashed around, sometimes grasping my head with her thighs, sometimes opening her legs as wide as she could, pushing my away while gripping my head in her hands and urging me on. Through it all I kept my grip on her knob until her orgasm began to subside."
- 15 A dollop, an amount just larger than a spoonful (usually referring to butter).
- 16 A chunky branch-like piece, especially of a ginger rhizome.
"Place whole, unpeeled knobs of ginger in a zipper-lock freezer bag for up to 3 months. Slice or break off what you need and return the rest to the freezer."
- 17 A bulb of the garlic plant consisting of multiple cloves.
- 18 A freshman at The Citadel, The Military College of South Carolina. US, slang
"Males voices, raised in anger, screamed at an unseen freshman. One voice demanded to know the rank on each jacket. “Hey, smack, what rank is this cadet uniform? Answer me, knob! Don’t you know, knob? What’s wrong, are you stupid, knob? For the first time since arriving at The Citadel, I fought to keep back tears. Exhausted from an hour of nonstop harassment, I was caught off guard by the sound of a boy sobbing behind me."
Verb
- 1 protrude intransitive
- 2 furnish or produce with a knob, knobble transitive
- 3 To have sex with. British, slang, transitive, vulgar
"One morning, maybe three weeks after my last grapple with Penny, Thomson came roaring into our form room. ‘Oi, Fleming, you spastic. Guess who I knobbed last night?’"
Example
"Turn the knob and open the door."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "knob"?
Common synonyms include: adjust dial, adjuster, anthill, ball, balloon, barrow.
How do you use "knob" in a sentence?
Turn the knob and open the door.
How do you pronounce "knob"?
Pronounced /nɒb/.
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.