knob
n. countablen. a round handle on a door or a drawer that you turn or pull to open it. It can also be a round button on a machine used to change settings like volume or heat.
n. a rounded handle or control switch, typically used for opening doors or adjusting electronic settings. In culinary contexts, refers to a small, irregular lump of a soft substance like butter.
Turn the knob to open the door.
He adjusted the volume knob on the radio until the music was at a comfortable level.
The chef added a generous knob of butter to the pan, allowing it to foam slightly before tossing in the fresh sage leaves for the sauce.
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.
Commonly used in the phrase 'a knob of' when referring to butter or similar fats in cooking.