Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • adjective Rough or irregular; textured.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • Full of nubs, knots, or protuberances.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • adjective Rough or lumpy

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • adjective of textiles; having a rough surface

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[From nubble, a small lump (from nub; see nub) + –y.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

nubble +‎ -y

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Examples

  • Really, though, it's the differences that make each building: Safdie builds around a prismatic skylight that renders everything reflective and cool, Saarinen encases his geometric space in nubbly, irregular brickwork that's human and warm.

    Archive 2007-02-01 Matthew Guerrieri 2007

  • Really, though, it's the differences that make each building: Safdie builds around a prismatic skylight that renders everything reflective and cool, Saarinen encases his geometric space in nubbly, irregular brickwork that's human and warm.

    Sticks and Bricks (off-topic Friday) Matthew Guerrieri 2007

  • Peggy was struggling with a stout and somewhat "nubbly" piece of wood, which was slowly shaping itself under the vigorous strokes of her jack-knife.

    The Merryweathers Laura Elizabeth Howe Richards 1896

  • Cara sighed and shifted on the rough, nubbly couch cushion.

    Choker Elizabeth Woods 2011

  • Joy picked a thick, nubbly multicolored yarn that would give the bag a fiber art look.

    A Stitch Before Dying Anne Canadeo 2011

  • Lucy took out some number six needles and picked a small ball of nubbly orange yarn from the selection Maggie had prepared.

    A Stitch Before Dying Anne Canadeo 2011

  • Joy picked a thick, nubbly multicolored yarn that would give the bag a fiber art look.

    A Stitch Before Dying Anne Canadeo 2011

  • A sample of one of Google's gigapixel images, provided by the Freer, suggests that users of Google Art will be able to see the faintest tracery of white paint with which the artist has made his subject's eyes glisten, as well as the nubbly, grid-like texture of the canvass underneath.

    Google Art Project: 'Street view' technology added to museums Philip Kennicott 2011

  • Cara sighed and shifted on the rough, nubbly couch cushion.

    Choker Elizabeth Woods 2011

  • Lucy took out some number six needles and picked a small ball of nubbly orange yarn from the selection Maggie had prepared.

    A Stitch Before Dying Anne Canadeo 2011

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