Knobby means covered with small bumps or lumps that stick out. A knobby stick has little rounded bumps all along it where twigs once grew. Your knees might look knobby when you're sitting with your legs bent, your kneecaps poking out.

Things that are knobby have an uneven, bumpy texture rather than being smooth. Gnarled tree roots are often knobby as they twist over rocks and through soil. Some vegetables are knobby too: ginger root looks knobby and twisted, and certain squash have knobby, warty skin.

The word usually describes something in a neutral or even affectionate way. A knobby walking stick might be more interesting to hold than a smooth one. A knobby old tree has character. When you describe something as knobby, you're painting a picture of its bumpy, irregular surface that people can almost feel just by hearing the word.