Knobbliest

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Exhibiting an exceptionally bumpy surface filled with numerous rounded protuberances
2. Featuring the greatest prominence of lumps or irregularities on its texture
3. Characterized by having the highest number of prominent rounded bumps on a surface

Etymology: "Knobbliest" is the superlative of "knobbly," so it is the form meaning most covered in knobs or lumps. Its base is "knobble," a small knob or lump, which is a diminutive-style formation from "knob." The suffix "-y," meaning "having the quality of" or "full of," turned that noun into the adjective "knobbly," and the superlative ending "-iest" was added to it to express the greatest degree. The "-y" suffix is old in English. It descends from the Old English "-iġ," which was attached to nouns to form adjectives, and it has been used this way for centuries, as in "stony," "hairy," and "bumpy." Many common English adjectives were built the same way, so "knobbly" fits a very productive pattern.