rub

[ ruhb ]

/ rʌb /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR rub ON THESAURUS.COM

verb (used with object), rubbed, rub·bing.

to subject the surface of (a thing or person) to pressure and friction, as in cleaning, smoothing, polishing, coating, massaging, or soothing: to rub a table top with wax polish; to rub the entire back area.

to move (something) back and forth or with a rotary motion, as against or along another surface: to rub the cloth over the glass pane.

to spread or apply (something) with pressure and friction over something else or a person: to rub lotion on her chapped hands.

to move (two things) with pressure and friction over or back and forth over each other (often followed by together): He rubbed his hands together.

to mark, polish, force, move, etc. (something) by pressure and friction (often followed by over, in, or into).

to remove by pressure and friction; erase (often followed by off or out).

verb (used without object), rubbed, rub·bing.

to exert pressure and friction on something.

to move with pressure against something.

to admit of being rubbed in a specified manner: Chalk rubs off easily.

Chiefly British. to proceed, continue in a course, or keep going with effort or difficulty (usually followed by on, along, or through): He manages to rub along.

noun

an act or instance of rubbing: an alcohol rub.

something that annoys or irritates one's feelings, as a sharp criticism, a sarcastic remark, or the like: to resent rubs concerning one's character.

an annoying experience or circumstance.

an obstacle, impediment, or difficulty: We'd like to travel, but the rub is that we have no money.

a rough or abraded area caused by rubbing.

Verb Phrases

rub down,

to smooth off, polish, or apply a coating to: to rub a chair down with sandpaper.
to give a massage to.

rub off on, to become transferred or communicated to by example or association: Some of his good luck must have rubbed off on me.

rub out,

to obliterate; erase.
Slang. to murder: They rubbed him out before he could get to the police.

Nearby words

ru, ru 486, ruana, ruanda, ruanda-urundi, rub, rub al khali, rub along, rub down, rub elbows with, rub in

Idioms

rub it in, Informal. to emphasize or reiterate something unpleasant in order to tease or annoy: The situation was embarrassing enough without having you rub it in.

rub salt in/into someone's wounds. salt¹(def 23).

rub the wrong way, to irritate; offend; annoy: a manner that seemed to rub everyone the wrong way.

rub up, British Informal. to refresh one's memory of (a subject, language, etc.).

Origin of rub

1300–50; 1860–65 for def 18b; Middle English rubben (v.); cognate with Frisian rubben, Danish rubbe, Swedish rubba

SYNONYMS FOR rub

14 hitch, catch, thing, trouble, pinch.

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR rub ON THESAURUS.COM

Related formsun·rubbed, adjectivewell-rubbed, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

British Dictionary definitions for rub out (1 of 2)

rub out

verb (tr, adverb)

to remove or be removed with a rubber

US slang to murder

Australian rules football to suspend (a player)

British Dictionary definitions for rub out (2 of 2)

rub

/ (rʌb) /

verb rubs, rubbing or rubbed

to apply pressure and friction to (something) with a circular or backward and forward motion

to move (something) with pressure along, over, or against (a surface)

to chafe or fray

(tr) to bring into a certain condition by rubbingrub it clean

(tr) to spread with pressure, esp in order to cause to be absorbedhe rubbed ointment into his back

(tr) to mix (fat) into flour with the fingertips, as in making pastry

(foll by off, out, away, etc) to remove or be removed by rubbing

bowls (of a bowl) to be slowed or deflected by an uneven patch on the green

(tr often foll by together) to move against each other with pressure and friction (esp in the phrases rub one's hands, often a sign of glee, anticipation, or satisfaction, and rub noses, a greeting among Inuit people)

rub someone's nose in it informal to remind someone unkindly of his failing or error

rub up the wrong way to arouse anger (in); annoy

rub shoulders with or rub elbows with informal to mix with socially or associate with

noun

the act of rubbing

the rub an obstacle or difficulty (esp in the phrase there's the rub)

something that hurts the feelings or annoys; rebuke

bowls an uneven patch in the green

any roughness or unevenness of surface

golf an incident of accidental interference with the ball
informal a piece of good or bad luck

See also rub along, rub down, rub in, rub off, rub out, rub up

Word Origin for rub

C15: perhaps from Low German rubben, of obscure origin

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

Word Origin and History for rub out (1 of 2)

rub

early 14c., transitive and intransitive, of uncertain origin, perhaps related to East Frisian rubben "to scratch, rub," and Low German rubbeling "rough, uneven," or similar words in Scandinavian (cf. Danish rubbe "to rub, scrub," Norwegian rubba), of uncertain origin. Related: Rubbed; rubbing.

To rub (someone) the wrong way is from 1853; probably the notion is of cats' fur. To rub noses in greeting as a sign of friendship (attested from 1822) formerly was common among Eskimos, Maoris, and some other Pacific Islanders. Rub out "obliterate" is from 1560s; underworld slang sense of "kill" is recorded from 1848, American English. Rub off "remove by rubbing" is from 1590s; meaning "have an influence" is recorded from 1959.

Word Origin and History for rub out (1 of 2)

rub

"act of rubbing," 1610s, from rub (v.); earlier "obstacle, inequality on ground" (1580s, common in 17c.) which is the figure in Hamlet's there's the rub (1602).

Medicine definitions for rub out

rub

[ rŭb ]

n.

The application of friction and pressure.

Such a procedure applied to the body.

Idioms and Phrases with rub out (1 of 2)

rub out

Obliterate or erase by, or as if by, rubbing. For example, Bill was so busy rubbing out the old markings that he forgot to put in new ones. [Mid-1600s]

Murder, kill, as in They threatened to rub him out if he didn't pay up. [Slang; mid-1800s]

Idioms and Phrases with rub out (2 of 2)

rub

In addition to the idioms beginning with rub

rub down
rub elbows with
rub in
rub off on
rub one's hands
rub out
rub someone's nose in it
rub the wrong way
rub up on

also see:

the rub

rub

verb (used with object), rubbed, rub·bing.

verb (used without object), rubbed, rub·bing.

noun

Verb Phrases

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RELATED WORDS

Nearby words

Idioms

Origin of rub

British Dictionary definitions for rub out (1 of 2)

rub out

verb (tr, adverb)

British Dictionary definitions for rub out (2 of 2)

rub

verb rubs, rubbing or rubbed

noun

Word Origin for rub

Word Origin and History for rub out (1 of 2)

rub

Word Origin and History for rub out (1 of 2)

rub

Medicine definitions for rub out

rub

n.

Idioms and Phrases with rub out (1 of 2)

rub out

Idioms and Phrases with rub out (2 of 2)

rub