*SET-U

English word origin

Etymology of knob

From Middle English knobbe, from Middle Low German knobbe (“knob, knot in wood, bud”), probably ultimately from a variant of Proto-Germanic *knappô (“knob, lump”), one of several kn- words related to *knudaną (“to knead”

1 source sectionExtended source reportWiktionary original ↗
In this entry · 1 source sections

The source etymologies

Wiktionary via Kaikki / Wiktextract

The source reports below are imported and unreviewed by *SET-U. Separate numbered origins and differing source variants are preserved; agreement within this extraction is not independent corroboration.

Unnumbered source etymology

Original entry ↗
verb

protrude · furnish or produce with a knob, knobble · To have sex with.

noun

A rounded protuberance, especially one arising from a flat surface; a fleshy lump or caruncle. · A rounded control switch that can be turned on its axis, designed to be operated by the fingers. · A ball-shaped part of a handle, lever, etc., designed to be grabbed by the hand. · A rounded ornament on the hilt of an edged weapon; a pommel.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

From Middle English knobbe, from Middle Low German knobbe (“knob, knot in wood, bud”), probably ultimately from a variant of Proto-Germanic *knappô (“knob, lump”), one of several kn- words related to *knudaną (“to knead”). Compare Middle Dutch knobbe, cnoppe, Middle Low German knobbe (“knob, knot in wood”), knubbe, Dutch knop (“knob, button, bud”), Old Frisian knopp, knapp, Old High German knopf (“bud, pommel of a sword, knot, loop”), Middle High German knospe, German Knopf (“button, knob”), Knospe (“bud”), Danish knap (“button”), knop (“knob, button, bud”), Faroese knappur (“button”), Icelandic hnappur (“button”), Norn knapp (“round button”), knubbi (“potato”), snapp (“knob, round top”), Norwegian and Swedish knapp (“button”), Norwegian knopp (“bud”), Swedish knopp (“bud, knob”), Finnish nappi (“button, knob”), nuppi (“knob, pommel”), Old Norse knyfill (“short horn”). Also compare Middle English knap, knappe (“small projection, knob (button, tassel, tuft, etc.), hill, hilltop, etc.)”), from Old English cnæp, cnæpp (“summit, top”), which is possibly related to Old Norse knappr (“small projection, knob (button, head of a stick, etc.)”) (whence English knop), from Proto-Germanic *knappô (“knob, lump”), *knuppô (“lump, clod”). Cognate with Dutch knob, knobbel (“knob”), German Knubbe, Knubbel (“knob”). See also knop. For the sense of a rounded hill, see nab and knab.

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

  • Inherited-form mentionknobbeenm
  • Derivation mentionknobbegml · knob, knot in wood, bud
  • Derivation mention*knappôgem-pro
  • Cognate mentionknobbedum
  • Cognate mentionknobbegml
  • Cognate mentionknopnl
  • Cognate mentionknoppofs
  • Cognate mentionknopfgoh
  • Cognate mentionknospegmh
  • Cognate mentionKnopfde
  • Cognate mentionknapda
  • Cognate mentionknappurfo
  • Cognate mentionhnappuris
  • Cognate mentionknappnrn
  • Cognate mentionknappsv
  • Cognate mentionknoppno
  • Cognate mentionknoppsv
  • Cognate mentionnappifi
  • Cognate mentionknyfillnon · short horn
  • Cognate mentionknapenm
  • Inherited-form mentioncnæpang
  • Derivation mentionknapprnon · small projection, knob (button, head of a stick, etc.)
  • Cognate mentionknopen
  • Cognate mentionknobnl
  • Cognate mentionKnubbede

This page abbreviates 10 auxiliary source items. The etymology narrative is not shortened. Omission counts are available in the audit fields below; consult the original for complete auxiliary material.

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "enm",
        "3": "knobbe"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle English knobbe"
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "gml",
        "3": "knobbe",
        "t": "knob, knot in wood, bud"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle Low German knobbe (“knob, knot in wood, bud”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "gem-pro",
        "3": "*knappô",
        "4": "",
        "5": "knob, lump"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-Germanic *knappô (“knob, lump”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "dum",
        "2": "knobbe"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle Dutch knobbe"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "gml",
        "2": "knobbe",
        "3": "",
        "4": "knob, knot in wood"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle Low German knobbe (“knob, knot in wood”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "nl",
        "2": "knop",
        "3": "",
        "4": "knob, button, bud"
      },
      "expansion": "Dutch knop (“knob, button, bud”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "ofs",
        "2": "knopp"
      },
      "expansion": "Old Frisian knopp"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "goh",
        "2": "knopf",
        "3": "",
        "4": "bud, pommel of a sword, knot, loop"
      },
      "expansion": "Old High German knopf (“bud, pommel of a sword, knot, loop”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "gmh",
        "2": "knospe"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle High German knospe"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "de",
        "2": "Knopf",
        "3": "",
        "4": "button, knob"
      },
      "expansion": "German Knopf (“button, knob”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "da",
        "2": "knap",
        "3": "",
        "4": "button"
      },
      "expansion": "Danish knap (“button”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "fo",
        "2": "knappur",
        "3": "",
        "4": "button"
      },
      "expansion": "Faroese knappur (“button”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "is",
        "2": "hnappur",
        "3": "",
        "4": "button"
      },
      "expansion": "Icelandic hnappur (“button”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "nrn",
        "2": "knapp",
        "3": "",
        "4": "round button"
      },
      "expansion": "Norn knapp (“round button”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "no",
        "2": "-"
      },
      "expansion": "Norwegian"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "sv",
        "2": "knapp",
        "3": "",
        "4": "button"
      },
      "expansion": "Swedish knapp (“button”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "no",
        "2": "knopp",
        "3": "",
        "4": "bud"
      },
      "expansion": "Norwegian knopp (“bud”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "sv",
        "2": "knopp",
        "3": "",
        "4": "bud, knob"
      },
      "expansion": "Swedish knopp (“bud, knob”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "fi",
        "2": "nappi",
        "3": "",
        "4": "button, knob"
      },
      "expansion": "Finnish nappi (“button, knob”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "non",
        "2": "knyfill",
        "t": "short horn"
      },
      "expansion": "Old Norse knyfill (“short horn”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "knap"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle English knap"
    },
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ang",
        "3": "cnæp"
      },
      "expansion": "Old English cnæp"
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "non",
        "3": "knappr",
        "t": "small projection, knob (button, head of a stick, etc.)"
      },
      "expansion": "Old Norse knappr (“small projection, knob (button, head of a stick, etc.)”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "knop"
      },
      "expansion": "English knop"
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "gem-pro",
        "3": "*knappô",
        "4": "",
        "5": "knob, lump"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-Germanic *knappô (“knob, lump”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "nl",
        "2": "knob"
      },
      "expansion": "Dutch knob"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "de",
        "2": "Knubbe"
      },
      "expansion": "German Knubbe"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "knobbe",
      "knobbe#Middle_English"
    ],
    [
      "knobbe",
      "knobbe#Middle_Low_German"
    ],
    [
      "*knappô",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/knappô"
    ],
    [
      "*knudaną",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/knudaną"
    ],
    [
      "knobbe",
      "knobbe#Middle_Dutch"
    ],
    [
      "cnoppe",
      "cnoppe#Middle_Dutch"
    ],
    [
      "knobbe",
      "knobbe#Middle_Low_German"
    ],
    [
      "knubbe",
      "knubbe#Middle_Low_German"
    ],
    [
      "knop",
      "knop#Dutch"
    ],
    [
      "knopp",
      "knopp#Old_Frisian"
    ],
    [
      "knapp",
      "knapp#Old_Frisian"
    ],
    [
      "knopf",
      "knopf#Old_High_German"
    ],
    [
      "knospe",
      "knospe#Middle_High_German"
    ],
    [
      "Knopf",
      "Knopf#German"
    ],
    [
      "Knospe",
      "Knospe#German"
    ],
    [
      "knap",
      "knap#Danish"
    ],
    [
      "knop",
      "knop#Danish"
    ],
    [
      "knappur",
      "knappur#Faroese"
    ],
    [
      "hnappur",
      "hnappur#Icelandic"
    ],
    [
      "knapp",
      "knapp#Norn"
    ],
    [
      "knubbi",
      "knubbi#Norn"
    ],
    [
      "snapp",
      "snapp#Norn"
    ],
    [
      "knapp",
      "knapp#Swedish"
    ],
    [
      "knopp",
      "knopp#Norwegian"
    ],
    [
      "knopp",
      "knopp#Swedish"
    ],
    [
      "nappi",
      "nappi#Finnish"
    ],
    [
      "nuppi",
      "nuppi#Finnish"
    ],
    [
      "knyfill",
      "knyfill#Old_Norse"
    ],
    [
      "knap",
      "knap#Middle_English"
    ],
    [
      "knappe",
      "knappe#Middle_English"
    ],
    [
      "cnæp",
      "cnæp#Old_English"
    ],
    [
      "cnæpp",
      "cnæpp#Old_English"
    ],
    [
      "knappr",
      "knappr#Old_Norse"
    ],
    [
      "knop",
      "knop#English"
    ],
    [
      "*knappô",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/knappô"
    ],
    [
      "*knuppô",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/knuppô"
    ],
    [
      "knob",
      "knob#Dutch"
    ],
    [
      "knobbel",
      "knobbel#Dutch"
    ],
    [
      "Knubbe",
      "Knubbe#German"
    ],
    [
      "Knubbel",
      "Knubbel#German"
    ],
    [
      "knop",
      "knop#English"
    ],
    [
      "nab",
      "nab#English"
    ],
    [
      "knab",
      "knab#English"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "verb",
      "glosses": [
        "protrude",
        "furnish or produce with a knob, knobble",
        "To have sex with."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "intransitive",
        "transitive",
        "UK",
        "slang",
        "vulgar"
      ],
      "recordId": "30047483a43f9f45feeec861ed4db9414efc365ac5c672a283322916b4ec2180",
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    },
    {
      "pos": "noun",
      "glosses": [
        "A rounded protuberance, especially one arising from a flat surface; a fleshy lump or caruncle.",
        "A rounded control switch that can be turned on its axis, designed to be operated by the fingers.",
        "A ball-shaped part of a handle, lever, etc., designed to be grabbed by the hand.",
        "A rounded ornament on the hilt of an edged weapon; a pommel."
      ],
      "tags": [],
      "recordId": "43e8b5c1cb6e38c0be40ba0cd3dfd444c2b5f77f61f00597a37d6979855df7ef",
      "rawRecordSha256": "03688003af999288f10f9008b87805e158f5962326c96ee9ebf4bdf582dd5707",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 279648
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  ],
  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
    "templates": 0,
    "links": 0,
    "references": 0,
    "descendants": 0,
    "lexicalRecords": 0,
    "lexicalSenses": 10,
    "glosses": 0
  }
}

Where this record stops

This page does not supply an independently verified sound-change sequence, first-use manuscript or complete family tree unless a cited analysis explicitly establishes one. Missing detail here is a limit of this record—not a claim that humanity knows nothing more.

An older meaning does not determine what a word must mean today. Follow the sources, preserve disagreements, and keep ancestry separate from interpretation.

Contribute located evidence for knob →

Source and snapshot

Imported from Wiktionary contributors; extracted by Tatu Ylonen / Wiktextract / Kaikki.org. Selected fields are reformatted and grouped; wording, source identity and etymology sections are retained. CC-BY-SA-4.0 applies to the imported source material.

Dump: 2026-10-01 · Extracted: 2026-10-30. These are snapshot dates, not the word’s first attestation or the page’s revision date.

Source entry and bibliography ↗Wiktionary revision history ↗Acquisition and rights ledger
Machine-source provenance
Source SHA-256
5ff2c072f8099f2d2ce484bd6957bf179f046d2ad37bc36555edf8bb84cb5291
Import run
73216b9a9b78ed3830994bf853103716f5a4dc57099e371e9f8fdc468facca26
Permanent entry ID
w-a25vYg