rub elbows with
boʊ noun
1.
the bend or joint of the human arm between upper arm and forearm.
2.
the corresponding joint in the forelimb of a quadruped. See diag. under horse.
3.
something bent like an elbow, as a sharp turn in a road or river, or a piece of pipe bent at an angle.
4.
Architecture, crossette.
verb (used with object)
6.
to push with or as if with the elbow; jostle.
7.
to make (one's way) by so pushing.
00:10
Rub elbows with
is always a great word to know.
So is quincunx. Does it mean:
| a children's mummer's parade, as on the Fourth of July, with prizes for the best costumes. |
| an arrangement of five objects, as trees, in a square or rectangle, one at each corner and one in the middle. |
verb (used without object)
Idioms 8.
to elbow one's way: He elbowed through the crowd.
9.
at one's elbow, within easy reach; nearby: A virtue of the cottage is that the ocean is at your elbow.
10.
bend/lift/crook an elbow, Informal. to drink alcoholic beverages.
11.
give the elbow, shove aside, get rid of, or reject.
12.
out at the elbows,
a.
poorly dressed; shabby.
b.
Also, out at elbows. impoverished.
13.
rub elbows with, to mingle socially with; associate with: a resort where royalty rubs elbows with the merely rich.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Link To rub elbows with
Collins
World English Dictionary
elbow (ˈɛlbəʊ) ![[Click for IPA pronunciation guide]](http://static.sfdict.com/dictstatic/g/d/dictionary_questionbutton_default.gif) | |
| —n | |
| 1. | the joint between the upper arm and the forearm, formed by the junction of the radius and ulna with the humerus |
| 2. | the corresponding joint or bone of birds or mammals |
| 3. | the part of a garment that covers the elbow |
| 4. | something resembling an elbow, such as a sharp bend in a road or river |
| 5. | at one's elbow within easy reach |
| 6. | out at elbow, out at elbows ragged or impoverished |
| 7. | up to the elbows with, up to the elbows in busily occupied with; deeply immersed in |
| —vb | |
| 8. | (tr) to reject; dismiss. Also: give the elbow |
| 9. | to make (one's way) by shoving, jostling, etc |
| 10. | (tr) to knock or shove with or as if with the elbow |
| [Old English elnboga; see | |
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History
elbow
O.E. elnboga, from ell "length of the forearm" + boga "bow, arch," from W.Gmc. *alinobogan, from P.Gmc. *elino-bugon, lit. "bend of the forearm." Second element related to O.E. bugan "to bend;" first element from *alina "arm," from PIE *el- "elbow, forearm" (see ell). The verb
meaning "thrust with the elbow" is from 1605; fig. sense is from 1863. Phrase elbow grease "hard rubbing" is attested from 1672, from jocular sense of "the best substance for polishing furniture."
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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American Heritage
Medical Dictionary
elbow el·bow (ěl'bō')
n.
The joint or bend of the arm between the forearm and the upper arm. Also called cubitus.
The bony outer projection of this joint.
Something having a bend or an angle similar to an elbow.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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American Heritage
Idioms & Phrases
rub elbows with
Also, rub shoulders with. Mix or socialize with, as in There's nothing like rubbing elbows with the rich and famous, or At the reception diplomats were rubbing shoulders with heads of state. Both of these terms allude to being in close contact with someone. [Mid-1800s]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
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Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
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Nearby Words
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