nubbyadj.
/ˈnʌbi/, U.S. /ˈnəbi/ = nubbly adj.
ΘΚΠ
the world > space > shape > unevenness > projection or prominence > protuberance or rounded projection > [adjective] > having (a) protuberance(s) > having knobbles or knots
knurneda1225
warreda1398
knarryc1405
knottyc1405
knurredc1430
knurry1513
knobby1526
knurrish1530
knappy1552
bunchy1562
gouty1597
nody1611
boiny1615
gnarleda1616
nodosous1623
nodose1657
tuberose1704
nodated1710
knablick1788
tuberculed1798
knubbly1809
knubby1828
nubbly1829
knobbled1840
knobbly1844
knarred1849
nubby1864
the world > textiles and clothing > textiles > textile fabric or an article of textile fabric > textile fabric > textile fabric with specific qualities > [adjective] > coarse or rough
roughOE
sackena1450
rugged1558
homespun?1589
shaggy1664
nubbly1829
nubby1935
1864 W. H. Thomes Gold Hunters' Adventures 246 ‘I am happy to know you,’ said Fred, grasping a hand that was about the size of a shoulder of mutton, and twice as hard and nubby.
1876 G. L. Gower Surrey Provincialisms (English Dialect Society no.12. Series C: Original glossaries) Nubby, cloddy, of land that breaks up in clods or lumps.
1888 F. T. Elworthy W. Somerset Word-bk. (at cited word) Can't never make no work way this here paste, 'tis so nubby.
1935 Amer. Speech 10 192/1 A dress of nubby crepe may have nubbly knots.
1967 Jrnl. Econ. Hist. 27 401 Bloch's tough, nubby French is hard to translate, but it shows how his mind worked.
1974 Union (S. Carolina) Daily Times 19 Apr. 5/3 When washing acrylic sweaters, socks and other wash-and-wear things turn them inside out before washing and they do not get nubby.
1989 A. Dilliard Writing Life i. 8 Its back pair of nubby feet clasps the grass stem.
Compounds
General attributive and parasynthetic, as nubby stitch, nubby textured, etc.
ΚΠ
1938 Times 19 Jan. 17/2 The nubby type jacket to the waistline is worn with vivid coloured woollen frocks.
1974 Audubon May 98/1 He was dressed in a manner so quaint and homely as to be quite distinguished from my nubby-tweedy exurbanite townsmen.
1984 Sears, Roebuck Catal. Spring–Summer 3 Handsome all cotton nubby-stitch boat-neck sweater.
1992 J. Stern & M. Stern Encycl. Pop Culture 50/2 Men sometime wore boat-neck fisherman's shirts and if they simply had to wear a tie, it was a nubby-textured one.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, December 2003; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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adj.1864