Meaning & use
nob
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Meanings
nouncountableBritishslangold-fashioned
A rich or upper-class person, often named with some mockery.
Grammar: Usually plural in use: the nobs.
Patterns
- a nob
- the nobs
The street was full of nobs in top hats.
He talked like a nob, but he grew up poor.
The club is a place where nobs meet to play cards.
nouncountableBritishslanghumorousold-fashioned
A person's head.
Grammar: Old slang, used humorously: bump on the nob.
Patterns
- a bump on the nob
He got a bang on the nob from a low beam.
She pulled her hat over her nob.
nouncountableBritishvulgaroffensive
A rude word for the penis.
Grammar: Vulgar British slang that should be avoided in polite company.
Teachers will tell students not to use this word in class.
This sense is considered crude by most speakers.
Word forms
| plural | nobs |
|---|
Common combinations
- toffs and nobs
- The party was crowded with toffs and nobs.
- a posh nob
- He was mocked as a posh nob.
- the nobs
- The nobs rode in the first carriage.
- a nob in a top hat
- A nob in a top hat tipped the doorman.
Synonyms and how they differ
- toff
- Toff is also British slang and mocks the upper class in a similar way, but it is still in daily use.
- swell
- Swell is older slang for a fashionable rich person and sounds more admiring.
- aristocrat
- Aristocrat is a neutral and formal word and does not mock.
- snob
- Snob is about the attitude of looking down on others, while nob is about wealth or rank.
Opposites
Word family
- nobby adjective
- old slang for smart or stylish
- nobs noun
- plural, rich people
- nobbier adjective
- comparative of nobby, more stylish
Commonly confused: nob or snob? nob or knob?
nob vs snob
A snob looks down on people they think inferior, while a nob is a person of high rank or wealth.
nob vs knob
Knob is a round handle or lump, spelled with a silent k. Nob is the slang word.
Practice
In old British slang, the nobs at a ball are most likely to be ___.
Choose one answer.
Nobs are rich or high-status people. Servants and cooks are the opposite, and musicians are not defined by status.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “nob”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.