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Glite Dictionary
Nob Hill

Nob Hill

1 6.2
A wealthy San Francisco neighborhood known for old mansions and large hotels
  • proper noun
  • /nɑb hɪl/
translation icon : Nob Hill
  • During my trip to San Francisco, I took a walk through Nob Hill and was captivated by the elegant architecture.
  • Nob Hill in San Francisco
  • Nob Hill neighborhood
  • Nob Hill hotel

Examples

  • I'm the King of Nob Hill!

    You Kill Me (2007)

  • Cable cars ran up and down Nob Hill.

    Fiction book (2002)

  • It's three o'clock in the afternoon on Easter, and I'm standing on a wooden deck in the Corona Heights neighborhood of San Francisco, looking out toward Nob Hill.

    Blog text (10)

  • The Fairmont Hotel is a historic landmark located in Nob Hill, known for its stunning views of the city.

  • Many tourists visit Nob Hill to admire its beautiful mansions and enjoy the upscale dining options.

Surface Forms

Nob Hill main

Morphology

nob + hill

The toponym transparently combines 'nob' (a wealthy or privileged person) with 'hill' (an elevated area), so a learner who knows both words can readily infer it refers to a hill associated with wealthy people — i.e., a fashionable or wealthy neighborhood. Specific historical or local details (San Francisco, mansions) require cultural knowledge, but the core meaning is directly derivable from the constituents.

Etymology

Nob Hill may get its name from the word nob, an old word for 'a rich or important person'. In the 1800s rich businessmen built big houses on the hill, so people called it the hill of the nobs, and today Nob Hill means a wealthy, fashionable neighborhood.