Also called India rubber, natural rubber, gum elastic, caoutchouc.a highly elastic solid substance, light cream or dark amber in color, polymerized by the drying and coagulation of the latex or milky juice of rubber trees and plants, esp. Hevea and Ficus species.
2.
a material made by chemically treating and toughening this substance, valued for its elasticity, nonconduction of electricity, shock absorption, and resistance to moisture, used in the manufacture of erasers, electrical insulation, elastic bands, crepe soles, toys, water hoses, tires, and many other products.
3.
any of various similar substances and materials made synthetically. Compare synthetic rubber.
A yellowish, amorphous, elastic material obtained from the milky sap or latex of various tropical plants, especially the rubber tree, and vulcanized, pigmented, finished, and modified into products such as electric insulation, elastic bands and belts, tires, and containers. Also called caoutchouc, India rubber.
Any of numerous synthetic elastic materials of varying chemical composition with properties similar to those of natural rubber.
A low overshoe made of rubber.
Baseball The rectangular piece of hard rubber that the pitcher must remain in contact with when making a pitch.
Something made of rubber, as:
An eraser.
A tire.
A set of tires on a vehicle.
Slang A condom.
One that rubs, especially one that gives a massage.
"thing that rubs," 1536, from rub (v.). The meaning "elastic substance from tropical plants" (short for India rubber) first recorded 1788, introduced to Europe 1744 by Charles Marie de la Condamine, so called because it was originally used as an eraser.
"Very useful for erasing the strokes of black lead pencils, and is popularly called rubber, and lead-eater." [entry for Caoutchouc in, Howard, "New Royal Encyclopedia," 1788]
Meaning "overshoes made of rubber" is 1842, Amer.Eng.; slang sense of "condom" is from 1930s. Sense of "deciding match" in a game or contest is 1599, of unknown origin, and perhaps an entirely separate word. Rubberneck (v.) is attested from 1896. Rubber stamp is from 1881; fig. sense of "institution whose power is formal but not real" is from 1919; the v. in this sense is from 1934. Rubber cement is attested from 1895. Rubber check is from 1927.
returned for lack of funds; "a rubber check"; "a no-good check"
noun
1.
an elastic material obtained from the latex sap of trees (especially trees of the genera Hevea and Ficus) that can be vulcanized and finished into a variety of products
2.
any of various synthetic elastic materials whose properties resemble natural rubber
3.
an eraser made of rubber (or of a synthetic material with properties similar to rubber); commonly mounted at one end of a pencil [syn: rubber eraser]
4.
contraceptive device consisting of a sheath of thin rubber or latex that is worn over the penis during intercourse [syn: condom]
5.
a waterproof overshoe that protects shoes from water or snow [syn: arctic]
verb
1.
coat or impregnate with rubber; "rubberize fabric for rain coats" [syn: rubberize]
(also adjective) (of) a strong elastic substance made from the juice of certain plants (especially the rubber tree), or an artificial substitute for this Example: Tyres are made of rubber; rubber boots
Arabic:
مَطّاط
Chinese (Simplified):
橡胶
Chinese (Traditional):
橡膠
Czech:
kaučuk
Danish:
gummi; gummi-
Dutch:
rubber
Estonian:
kumm, kummi-
Finnish:
kumi
French:
(de) caoutchouc
German:
das Gummi; Gummi-…
Greek:
λάστιχο
Hungarian:
gumi
Icelandic:
gúmmí
Indonesian:
karet
Italian:
gomma; di gomma*
Japanese:
ゴム
Korean:
천연 고무, 합성 고무
Latvian:
gumija
Lithuanian:
guma
Norwegian:
gummi
Polish:
guma
Portuguese (Brazil):
borracha
Portuguese (Portugal):
borracha
Romanian:
(de, *din) cauciuc
Russian:
резина
Slovak:
guma
Slovenian:
guma
Spanish:
caucho, goma
Swedish:
gummi
Turkish:
lâstik, kauçuk
rubber2[ˈrabə]noun
(alsoeˈraser) a piece of rubber used to rub out pencil etc marks Example: a pencil, a ruler and a rubber
Arabic:
مِمْحاه
Chinese (Simplified):
橡皮
Chinese (Traditional):
橡皮
Czech:
guma
Danish:
viskelæder
Dutch:
vlakgom
Estonian:
kustukumm
Finnish:
kumi
French:
gomme à effacer
German:
der Radiergummi
Greek:
γομολάστιχα
Hungarian:
radír(gumi)
Icelandic:
strokleður
Indonesian:
penghapus
Italian:
gomma
Japanese:
消しゴム
Korean:
(고무) 지우개
Latvian:
dzēšgumija
Lithuanian:
trintukas
Norwegian:
viskelær
Polish:
gumka
Portuguese (Brazil):
borracha
Portuguese (Portugal):
borracha
Romanian:
gumă de şters
Russian:
ластик
Slovak:
guma
Slovenian:
radirka
Spanish:
goma de borrar
Swedish:
suddgummi
Turkish:
(lâstik) silgi
rubber3[ˈrabə]noun
(slang) a condom
Arabic:
كوندوم: يَسْتَعْمِلُه الرَّجُل عند مُمارسَة الجِنْس
An elastic material prepared from the milky sap of certain tropical plants, especially the tree Hevea brasiliensis. Rubber is a polymer that is used, after processing, in a great variety of products, including electric insulation and tires. In its pure form, it is white and consists of repeating units of C5H8.
Any of various synthetic materials having properties that are similar to those of this substance.
Hard\, a. [Compar. Harder; superl. Hardest.] [OE. heard, AS. heard; akin to OS. & D. heard, G. hart, OHG. harti, Icel. har?r, Dan. haard, Sw. h[*a]rd, Goth. hardus, Gr.? strong, ?, ?, strength, and also to E. -ard, as in coward, drunkard, -crat, -cracy in autocrat, democracy; cf. Skr. kratu strength, ? to do, make. Cf. Hardy.]1. Not easily penetrated, cut, or separated into parts; not yielding to pressure; firm; solid; compact; -- applied to material bodies, and opposed to soft; as, hard wood; hard flesh; a hard apple. 2. Difficult, mentally or judicially; not easily apprehended, decided, or resolved; as a hard problem. The hard causes they brought unto Moses. --Ex. xviii. 26. In which are some things hard to be understood. --2 Peter iii. 16. 3. Difficult to accomplish; full of obstacles; laborious; fatiguing; arduous; as, a hard task; a disease hard to cure. 4. Difficult to resist or control; powerful. The stag was too hard for the horse. --L'Estrange. A power which will be always too hard for them. --Addison. 5. Difficult to bear or endure; not easy to put up with or consent to; hence, severe; rigorous; oppressive; distressing; unjust; grasping; as, a hard lot; hard times; hard fare; a hard winter; hard conditions or terms. I never could drive a hard bargain. --Burke. 6. Difficult to please or influence; stern; unyielding; obdurate; unsympathetic; unfeeling; cruel; as, a hard master; a hard heart; hard words; a hard character. 7. Not easy or agreeable to the taste; stiff; rigid; ungraceful; repelling; as, a hard style. Figures harder than even the marble itself. --Dryden. 8. Rough; acid; sour, as liquors; as, hard cider. 9. (Pron.) Abrupt or explosive in utterance; not aspirated, sibilated, or pronounced with a gradual change of the organs from one position to another; -- said of certain consonants, as c in came, and g in go, as distinguished from the same letters in center, general, etc. 10. Wanting softness or smoothness of utterance; harsh; as, a hard tone. 11. (Painting) (a) Rigid in the drawing or distribution of the figures; formal; lacking grace of composition. (b) Having disagreeable and abrupt contrasts in the coloring or light and shade. Hard cancer, Hard case, etc. See under Cancer, Case, etc. Hard clam, or Hard-shelled clam (Zo["o]l.), the guahog. Hard coal, anthracite, as distinguished from bituminous or soft coal. Hard and fast. (Naut.) See under Fast. Hard finish (Arch.), a smooth finishing coat of hard fine plaster applied to the surface of rough plastering. Hard lines, hardship; difficult conditions. Hard money, coin or specie, as distinguished from paper money. Hard oyster (Zo["o]l.), the northern native oyster. [Local, U. S.] Hard pan, the hard stratum of earth lying beneath the soil; hence, figuratively, the firm, substantial, fundamental part or quality of anything; as, the hard pan of character, of a matter in dispute, etc. See Pan. Hard rubber. See under Rubber. Hard solder. See under Solder. Hard water, water, which contains lime or some mineral substance rendering it unfit for washing. See Hardness, 3. Hard wood, wood of a solid or hard texture; as walnut, oak, ash, box, and the like, in distinction from pine, poplar, hemlock, etc. In hard condition, in excellent condition for racing; having firm muscles;-said of race horses. Syn: Solid; arduous; powerful; trying; unyielding; stubborn; stern; flinty; unfeeling; harsh; difficult; severe; obdurate; rigid. See Solid, and Arduous.
![[P]](http://cache.lexico.com/g/d/premium_mh.gif){kind=small}
Audio Help [ruhb-er] Pronunciation Key 
