Nob

/nɒb/ noun

Definition

British slang for a person of wealth or high social status, or an informal word for the head.

Etymology

Origins unclear; possibly from 'knob' or related to the word 'noble.' Used in British English since the 1600s-1700s, it may derive from Scottish or Irish dialectal roots.

Kelly Says

In British criminal slang from the 1800s, a 'nob' meant an important person worth targeting for robbery—so the same word became a tool for class analysis, identifying who had wealth that could be stolen.

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