rub down

British  

verb

1. to dry or clean (a horse, athlete, oneself, etc) vigorously, esp after exercise

2. to make or become smooth by rubbing

3. (tr) to prepare (a surface) for painting by rubbing it with sandpaper

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noun

1. the act of rubbing down

2. the Hong Kong term for dressing-down

rub down Idioms  

1. Briskly rub the body, as in a massage. For example, The trainer rubs down marathon runners, or That horse needs rubbing down. This expression was first used (and still is) for rubbing away dust and sweat from a horse. [Late 1600s]

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Example Sentences

So good that in between rounds Walker retreated to his RV, which was parked across the street in a church parking lot, for a rub down and even a nap.

From Golf Digest • Jul. 31, 2016

Once a man gave me two bits to rub down and watch his horse for the afternoon.

From "Life Is So Good" by George Dawson

She took out the wipes and began to rub down the emergency brake, then stopped.

From "Genuine Fraud" by E. Lockhart

Then he saw Rosaleen and started to rub the bald space on his head with such agitation I thought he might rub down to the skull bone.

From "The Secret Life of Bees" by Sue Monk Kidd

Get a cloth and rub down that desk and table.

From The Story of Antony Grace by Fenn, George Manville

Related Words

• comb
• educate
• prim
• tend