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knob (nŏb)
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n.
1. A rounded protuberance.
2.
a. A rounded handle, as on a drawer or door.
b. A rounded control switch or dial.
3. A prominent rounded hill or mountain.
[Middle English knobbe, from Middle Low German, knot in wood.]
knobbed (nŏbd) adj.
knobbi·ness n.
knobby adj.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2020 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
 

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

    Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

    Indo-European Roots

    Semitic Roots

    The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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