rubbing
Americannoun
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an act or action of a person or thing that rubs.
-
an impression of an incised or sculptured surface made by laying paper over it and rubbing with heelball, graphite, or a similar substance until the image appears.
noun
Etymology
Origin of rubbing
Middle English word dating back to 1350–1400; see origin at rub, -ing 1
Vocabulary lists containing rubbing
Visual Arts - Introductory
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Visual Arts - High School
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Visual Arts - Middle School
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Before long, the band was playing in New York, rubbing shoulders with Patti Smith, Talking Heads and Blondie at CBGBs and shaking punks out of their contemptuous indifference.
From BBC • Mar. 17, 2026
Meeting up with friends, rubbing fabric between their fingers and the overall vibe of wandering through a bustling shopping center are experiences they can’t get online.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 8, 2026
For up-and-coming filmmakers, an Oscar nomination -- and the attendant glitz and glamour of luncheons rubbing shoulders with megastars like Timothee Chalamet and Steven Spielberg -- is confirmation that persistence pays off.
From Barron's • Mar. 4, 2026
Marc Short, the former vice president’s lieutenant, was less restrained in rubbing the decision in Trump’s face.
From Salon • Feb. 22, 2026
Since then, I’ve been sitting on this couch, rubbing the frayed armrest, every second Thursday for three months now.
From "Red Flags and Butterflies" by Sheryl Azzam
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
