nub
noun
[ nʌb ]
• the crux or central point of a matter.
• "the nub of the problem lies elsewhere"
Similar:
crux,
central point,
main point,
most important point,
core,
heart,
heart of the matter,
centre,
nucleus,
essence,
essential part,
quintessence,
kernel,
marrow,
meat,
pith,
gist,
substance,
sum and substance,
nitty-gritty,
• a small lump or protuberance.
• "he pressed down on the two nubs on top of the phone"
Origin:
late 17th century: apparently a variant of dialect knub ‘protuberance’, from Middle Low German knubbe, knobbe ‘knob’.
