noun · verb · 4 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
UK:/ˈdɔː.nɒb/
US:/ˈdɔɹ.nɑb/
Southern-England:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
General-American:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
CMU ARPABET:D UW1 R N AA0 B
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
noun
Meaning 1
A circular device attached to a door, the rotation of which permits the unlatching of the door.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
noun
Meaning 2
A stupid person.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: derogatory, informal
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
verb
Meaning 3
(especially psychiatry) To suddenly bring up a time-consuming topic when very little time remains to discuss it, often as a tactic to avoid conversation.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: intransitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
noun
Meaning 4
a knob used to release the catch when opening a door (often called `doorhandle' in Great Britain)
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: doorhandle
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: knob
History
Etymology
From door + knob.
Across languages
Translations
61 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Arabic:
مِقْبَض اَلْبَاب
(miqbaḍ al-bāb)
— circular device attached to a door, the rotation of which permits the unlatching of a door
Arabic:
أكرة الباب
(ʔukrat el-bāb)
— circular device attached to a door, the rotation of which permits the unlatching of a door
Breton:
dornell
— circular device attached to a door, the rotation of which permits the unlatching of a door
Catalan:
pom
— circular device attached to a door, the rotation of which permits the unlatching of a door
Chinese Mandarin:
門把手 /门把手
(mén bǎshǒu)
— circular device attached to a door, the rotation of which permits the unlatching of a door
Chinese Mandarin:
門把 /门把
(ménbà)
— circular device attached to a door, the rotation of which permits the unlatching of a door
Czech:
klika
— circular device attached to a door, the rotation of which permits the unlatching of a door
Danish:
dørhåndtag
— circular device attached to a door, the rotation of which permits the unlatching of a door
Danish:
dørgreb
— circular device attached to a door, the rotation of which permits the unlatching of a door
Dutch:
deurknop
— circular device attached to a door, the rotation of which permits the unlatching of a door
Esperanto:
pordanso
— circular device attached to a door, the rotation of which permits the unlatching of a door
Esperanto:
pordobutono
— circular device attached to a door, the rotation of which permits the unlatching of a door
Esperanto:
butono
— circular device attached to a door, the rotation of which permits the unlatching of a door
Finnish:
ovennuppi
— circular device attached to a door, the rotation of which permits the unlatching of a door
Finnish:
ovenkahva
— circular device attached to a door, the rotation of which permits the unlatching of a door
French:
bouton de porte
— circular device attached to a door, the rotation of which permits the unlatching of a door
French:
clenche
— circular device attached to a door, the rotation of which permits the unlatching of a door
French:
poignée de porte
— circular device attached to a door, the rotation of which permits the unlatching of a door
Galician:
pomo
— circular device attached to a door, the rotation of which permits the unlatching of a door
Gallo:
tianche
— circular device attached to a door, the rotation of which permits the unlatching of a door
Georgian:
კარის სახელური
(ḳaris saxeluri)
— circular device attached to a door, the rotation of which permits the unlatching of a door
German:
Türknauf
— circular device attached to a door, the rotation of which permits the unlatching of a door
German:
Türknopf
— circular device attached to a door, the rotation of which permits the unlatching of a door
Greek:
πόμολο
(pómolo)
— circular device attached to a door, the rotation of which permits the unlatching of a door
Greek:
χερούλι
(cheroúli)
— circular device attached to a door, the rotation of which permits the unlatching of a door
Hungarian:
kilincs
— circular device attached to a door, the rotation of which permits the unlatching of a door
Icelandic:
húnn
— circular device attached to a door, the rotation of which permits the unlatching of a door
Ido:
pordo-butono
— circular device attached to a door, the rotation of which permits the unlatching of a door
Irish:
murlán dorais
— circular device attached to a door, the rotation of which permits the unlatching of a door
Irish:
úll dorais
— circular device attached to a door, the rotation of which permits the unlatching of a door
Italian:
pomello
— circular device attached to a door, the rotation of which permits the unlatching of a door
Japanese:
ドアノブ
(doanobu)
— circular device attached to a door, the rotation of which permits the unlatching of a door
Japanese:
ドアハンドル
(doahandoru)
— circular device attached to a door, the rotation of which permits the unlatching of a door
Khakas:
ізік тудазы
(ìzìk tudazı)
— circular device attached to a door, the rotation of which permits the unlatching of a door
Korean:
문손잡이
(munsonjabi)
— circular device attached to a door, the rotation of which permits the unlatching of a door
Korean:
손잡이
(sonjabi)
— circular device attached to a door, the rotation of which permits the unlatching of a door
Macedonian:
квака
(kvaka)
— circular device attached to a door, the rotation of which permits the unlatching of a door
Māori:
pōrori
— circular device attached to a door, the rotation of which permits the unlatching of a door
Norwegian Bokmål:
dørhåndtak
— circular device attached to a door, the rotation of which permits the unlatching of a door
Norwegian Bokmål:
dørvrider
— circular device attached to a door, the rotation of which permits the unlatching of a door
Ossetian:
дуары хӕцӕн
(dwary xæcæn)
— circular device attached to a door, the rotation of which permits the unlatching of a door
Plautdietsch:
Däarenknoop
— circular device attached to a door, the rotation of which permits the unlatching of a door
Polish:
klamka
— circular device attached to a door, the rotation of which permits the unlatching of a door
Portuguese:
maçaneta
— circular device attached to a door, the rotation of which permits the unlatching of a door
Russian:
дверна́я ру́чка
(dvernája rúčka)
— circular device attached to a door, the rotation of which permits the unlatching of a door
Russian:
ру́чка две́ри
(rúčka dvéri)
— circular device attached to a door, the rotation of which permits the unlatching of a door
Serbo-Croatian:
квака
— circular device attached to a door, the rotation of which permits the unlatching of a door
Serbo-Croatian:
kvaka
— circular device attached to a door, the rotation of which permits the unlatching of a door
Spanish:
perilla
— circular device attached to a door, the rotation of which permits the unlatching of a door
Spanish:
pomo
— circular device attached to a door, the rotation of which permits the unlatching of a door
Spanish:
pomo de la puerta
— circular device attached to a door, the rotation of which permits the unlatching of a door
Spanish:
picaporte
— circular device attached to a door, the rotation of which permits the unlatching of a door
Swedish:
dörrhandtag
— circular device attached to a door, the rotation of which permits the unlatching of a door
Tagalog:
tumbol
— circular device attached to a door, the rotation of which permits the unlatching of a door
Thai:
ลูกบิด
(lûuk-bìt)
— circular device attached to a door, the rotation of which permits the unlatching of a door
Tibetan:
སྒོའི་ལག་འཇུ
(sgo'i lag 'ju)
— circular device attached to a door, the rotation of which permits the unlatching of a door
Turkish:
tokmak
— circular device attached to a door, the rotation of which permits the unlatching of a door
Vietnamese:
tay nắm cửa
— circular device attached to a door, the rotation of which permits the unlatching of a door
Vietnamese:
nắm đấm cửa
— circular device attached to a door, the rotation of which permits the unlatching of a door
Welsh:
bwlyn drws
— circular device attached to a door, the rotation of which permits the unlatching of a door
Welsh:
dwrn drws
— circular device attached to a door, the rotation of which permits the unlatching of a door