"full of entanglements or imperfections," 1864, from nub + -y (2). Nubbly, "having numerous knobs or lumps," is from 1814.

region of Africa bordering the Red Sea south of Egypt, ultimately from a local word, said to be related to Coptic noubti "to weave," or from Nubian nub "gold." In the fashion sense "woman's light scarf" it is from French, from Latin nubes "cloud" (see nuance).

"pertaining to or belonging to Nubia," c. 1730, from Medieval Latin Nubianus, from Nubia (see Nubia). As an adjective, c. 1400 in reference to an Eastern sect; 1788 as "a Nubian slave" in Egypt; 1790 as a type of horse; 1899 as a type of black dress material.

1640s, "marriageable, of age and condition suitable for marriage" (said of a woman), from French nubile (16c.) or directly from Latin nubilis "marriageable," from stem of nubere "take as husband," (see nuptial). Sense of "young and sexually attractive" (of women) is by 1973. Related: Nubility.

"pertaining to the nape of the neck or spinal cord," 1835, medical Latin, from nucha "spinal cord" (c. 1400), from Medieval Latin nucha, from Arabic nukha "spinal marrow."

1841, "of or like the nucleus of a cell," from nucleus + -ar, probably by influence of French nucléaire. General sense of "central" is from 1912. In atomic physics, "of or belonging to the nucleus of an atom," from 1914; of weapons deriving their destructive power from nuclear reactions, by 1945.

Hence nuclear energy (1930), nuclear physics (1933), nuclear war (1954). Nuclear winter was coined by U.S. atmospheric scientist Richard Turco but is first attested in article by Carl Sagan in "Parade" magazine, Oct. 30, 1983. Nuclear family, originally a sociologists' term, is first attested 1949 in "Social Structure," by American anthropologist G.P. Murdock (1897-1985). Alternative adjective nucleal is recorded from 1840, probably from French.

"formation of nuclei," by 1855, noun of action from nucleate (v.) "to form into or bring together as a nucleus" (1839), from Latin nucleatus, past participle of nucleare, from nucleus (see nucleus).

"referring to a nucleus," 1892, in nucleic acid, which is a translation of German Nukleinsäure (1889), from Nuklein "substance obtained from a cell nucleus" (see nucleus + -in (2)) + -ic.

"a small nucleus; the nucleus of a nucleus," 1839, from Latin nucleolus, literally "a little nut," diminutive of nucleus (see nucleus). Related: Nucleolar.

type of chemical compound forming the basic structural unit of a nucleic acid, 1908, from German nucleotid (1907), from nucleo-, modern combining form of Latin nucleus (see nucleus) + -ide, with -t- for the sake of euphony.