nub

• Petite saillie ou petite bosse, petit morceau; aussi le point central et le plus important d'une idée ou d'une expérience.

A noun referring to a small lump or protuberance, a small piece, or the central and most essential part of an idea or experience.

1. Small lump or protuberanceB2formal

   A small, rounded projection or bump on a surface.

   Petite bosse ou protubérance

   • The fabric had a small nub where the thread was tied.
   • He felt a nub on the tree trunk where a branch had been cut.
   • The surface was smooth except for a tiny nub near the edge.

   Synonymesbumpknoblumpnodenodulenubbleprojectionprotuberancestudswelling

   Antonymesdentdepressionhollowindentation

2. Small pieceB2informal

   A small fragment or chunk of something.

   petit morceau

   • She ate a nub of cheese before dinner.
   • He found a nub of coal in the fireplace.
   • The child held a nub of crayon in his hand.

   Synonymesbitchunkfragmenthunklumpmorselnuggetpiecescrap

   Antonymesentiretywhole

3. Core or essenceB2informal

   The central or most important part of an idea, argument, or experience.

   Cœur, essence

   • The nub of the problem is a lack of funding.
   • After hours of discussion, we finally got to the nub of the issue.
   • The nub of her speech was about the importance of community.

   Synonymescorecruxessencegistheartkernelnucleuspithpointsubstance

   Antonymesadjunctperipherysurface