Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

neb

/nɛb/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.77 in modern English

Syllables: neb
IPA: /nɛb/

5

Scrabble Score

3

Letters

1

Syllables

3

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

noun

A person's mouth.

Obsolete

noun

A person's nose.

noun

The peak of a flat cap.

noun

The nose or snout of an animal, now especially of a fish.

noun

A projecting extremity; a point or sharp projection.

noun

A nib, as of a pen.

noun

Clipping of nebulizer.

Example Sentences

"In Acorns the nebb dilating splitteth the two sides, which sometimes lye whole, when the Oak is sproated two handfuls."
"[…] the standard nebulizer treatment is withheld from the child. […] Other physicians and nurses not associated with the hospital told me […] "the child either needs a neb or doesn't need a neb.""

Etymology

From Middle English neb, from Old English nebb (“beak, nose, face”), from Proto-Germanic *nabją (“beak, nose”). Cognate with Danish næb, Dutch neb, German Schnabel, Old Norse nef, Swedish näbb, Swedish regional näv.

Origin

Source language: Middle English

Word Breakdown

Root: neb, nebb, *nabją

Usage

Obsolete
British usage

Inflected Forms

nebs (plural) nib (alternative)

Derived Forms

nebby nebbie

Phrases

finger neb neb-neb neb-nose

Frequently Paired Words

nib nipple neb-neb neb-nose SEB

Synonyms

bill pecker beak nib snout

Rhymes With

web world wide web feb hidden web jeb deb ebb celeb reb pleb keb cheb

Questions

How do you pronounce neb?: The recorded pronunciation is /nɛb/.
What does neb mean?: A bird's beak.
Where does neb come from?: It is traced to Middle English.

How to pronounce neb

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “neb”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/nɛb/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “neb”.
Repeat and practice — Say “neb” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.