eraser

[ ih-rey-ser ]

/ ɪˈreɪ sər /

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noun

a device, as a piece of rubber or cloth, for erasing marks made with pen, pencil, chalk, etc.

a person or thing that erases.

QUIZ

THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?

Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.

Question 1 of 7

In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…

candystring

candyfloss

candypuff

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of eraser

First recorded in 1780–90; erase + -er¹

Words nearby eraser

eradiate, eradicable, eradicate, eradication, erase, eraser, erasing head, erasion, Erasistratus, Erasmian, Erasmus

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use eraser in a sentence

In the same way that Cage composed music for “prepared pianos” — instruments with bolts, screws, mutes and rubber erasers placed on the strings to alter or silence the sound — Paik deliberately damaged and even gutted TVs.
Nam June Paik predicted the Internet, YouTube and Instagram. But he was more interesting as an artist than as a prophet.|Sebastian Smee|July 30, 2021|Washington Post
Sponge erasers are particularly good for touching up matte-finish tapes and getting into fine grooves in grips.
How to Clean Your Cycling Gear|agintzler|July 17, 2021|Outside Online
To tap an unlikely source of nutrition, insects small enough to sit on a pencil eraser have to suck harder than any known creature.
Froghoppers are the super-suckers of the animal world|Jonathan Lambert|July 13, 2021|Science News
He picked up an eraser and wiped out decades of other people’s blood, sweat, and tears in so many areas.
These Trans Kids Are Trying to Survive Tennessee’s ‘Slate of Hate’|Tim Teeman|May 21, 2021|The Daily Beast

As an extra feature, the eraser cap has a lead selector that goes from HB to 4H, so you can easily identify what kind of lead is in your pencil.
Must-have art supplies to let your inner creative shine|Sandra Gutierrez G.|February 11, 2021|Popular-Science
Joel sank into the couch, smiling, while Ethan threw a balled-up eraser against the wall and laughed.
The Stacks: The Day ‘The Big Lebowski’ Came to Life|Alex Belth|July 26, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The Wichita State Shocker, named WuShock, resembles a frayed yellow pencil eraser and/or Bart Simpson on meth.
A Method to March Madness|Ben Teitelbaum|March 20, 2013|DAILY BEAST
When he started to take it apart, he found a microphone the size of a pencil eraser drilled into its framework.
How Russian Spies Trick Americans|Julia Ioffe|July 9, 2010|DAILY BEAST
Enter another eraser of the line between public and private: reality TV.
Inside Studio 54's Wildest Nights|Anthony Haden-Guest|December 13, 2009|DAILY BEAST
A piece of rubber stuck on the tang end answers the double purpose of a protector and eraser.
The Boy Mechanic, Book 2|Various
A good knife eraser for ink can be made from a discarded or broken ruling pen.
The Boy Mechanic, Book 2|Various
A ball, eraser or some object is given each team on opposite side of the circle.
Games and Play for School Morale|Various
At school I gave away my scholar's-companion and my eraser and my pencils and pen-holders, and an old torn map, as keepsakes.
What Happened to Inger Johanne|Dikken Zwilgmeyer
The drawing had been made with a hard pencil and the eraser had removed the lead, but a well-defined imprint remained.
The House of a Thousand Candles|Meredith Nicholson

British Dictionary definitions for eraser

eraser

/ (ɪˈreɪzə) /

noun

an object, such as a piece of rubber or felt, used for erasing something written, typed, etca pencil eraser

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012