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

Thus they proceeded to the turnpike road, and ascended Rub-Down Hill to the gate he had been leaning over when she surprised him ten days before.

From The Woodlanders by Hardy, Thomas

Related Words

• comb
• educate
• prim
• tend