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rub
[ ruhb ]
verb (used with object)
- 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)
- 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 phrase
- to obliterate; erase.
- Slang. to murder:
They rubbed him out before he could get to the police.
- to smooth off, polish, or apply a coating to:
to rub a chair down with sandpaper.
- to give a massage to.
- to become transferred or communicated to by example or association:
Some of his good luck must have rubbed off on me.
rub
/ rʌb /
verb
- 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 rubbing
rub it clean
- tr to spread with pressure, esp in order to cause to be absorbed
he rubbed ointment into his back
- tr to mix (fat) into flour with the fingertips, as in making pastry
- foll byoff, 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
- troften foll bytogether 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 wayto 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 ruban 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
- a piece of good or bad luck
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Other Words From
- un·rubbed adjective
- well-rubbed adjective
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Word History and Origins
Origin of rub1
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Word History and Origins
Origin of rub1
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Idioms and Phrases
- 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 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.).
- rub salt in / into someone's wounds. salt 1( def 23 ).
More idioms and phrases containing rub
- the rub
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Related Words
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
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