Definify.com

Webster 1913 Edition

Rub

Rub

,
Verb.
T.
[
imp. & p. p.
Rubbed
;
p. pr. & vb. n.
Rubbing
.]
[Probably of Celtic origin; cf. W.
rhwbiaw
, gael.
rub
.]
1.
To subject (a body) to the action of something moving over its surface with pressure and friction, especially to the action of something moving back and forth;
as, to
rub
the flesh with the hand; to
rub
wood with sandpaper
.
It shall be expedient, after that body is cleaned, to
rub
the body with a coarse linen cloth.
Sir T. Elyot.
2.
To move over the surface of (a body) with pressure and friction; to graze; to chafe;
as, the boat
rubs
the ground
.
3.
To cause (a body) to move with pressure and friction along a surface;
as, to
rub
the hand over the body
.
Two bones
rubbed
hard against one another.
Arbuthnot.
4.
To spread a substance thinly over; to smear.
The smoothed plank, . . .
New
rubbed
with balm.
Milton.
5.
To scour; to burnish; to polish; to brighten; to cleanse; – often with up or over;
as, to
rub
up silver
.
The whole business of our redemption is to
rub
over the defaced copy of the creation.
South.
6.
To hinder; to cross; to thwart.
[R.]
’T is the duke's pleasure,
Whose disposition, all the world well knows,
Will not be
rubbed
nor stopped.
Shakespeare
To rub down
.
(a)
To clean by rubbing; to comb or curry; as, to down a horse
.
(b)
To reduce or remove by rubbing; as, to rub down the rough points.
–
To rub off
,
to clean anything by rubbing; to separate by friction;
as,
to rub off
rust
.
–
To rub out
,
to remove or separate by friction; to erase; to obliterate;
as,
to rub out
a mark or letter;
to rub out
a stain
.
–
To rub up
.
(a)
To burnish; to polish; to clean
.
(b)
To excite; to awaken; to rouse to action;
as,
to rub up
the memory
.

Rub

,
Verb.
I.
1.
To move along the surface of a body with pressure; to grate;
as, a wheel
rubs
against the gatepost
.
2.
To fret; to chafe;
as, to
rub
upon a sore
.
3.
To move or pass with difficulty;
as, to
rub
through woods, as huntsmen; to
rub
through the world
.
To rub along
or
on
,
to go on with difficulty;
as, they manage, with strict economy,
to rub along
.
[Colloq.]

Rub

,
Noun.
[Cf. W.
rhwb
. See Rub, v,t,]
1.
The act of rubbing; friction.
2.
That which rubs; that which tends to hinder or obstruct motion or progress; hindrance; obstruction, an impediment; especially, a difficulty or obstruction hard to overcome; a pinch.
Every
rub
is smoothed on our way.
Shakespeare
To sleep, perchance to dream; ay, there's the
rub
.
Shakespeare
Upon this
rub
, the English ambassadors thought fit to demur.
Hayward.
One knows not, certainly, what other
rubs
might have been ordained for us by a wise Providence.
W. Besant.
3.
Inequality of surface, as of the ground in the game of bowls; unevenness.
Shak.
4.
Something grating to the feelings; sarcasm; joke;
as, a hard
rub
.
5.
Imperfection; failing; fault.
[Obs.]
Beau. & Fl.
6.
A chance.
[Obs.]
Flight shall leave no Greek a
rub
.
Chapman.
7.
A stone, commonly flat, used to sharpen cutting tools; a whetstone; – called also
rubstone
.

Webster 1828 Edition

Rub

RUB

,
Verb.
T.
[L. probrum, exprobro; Gr. to rub. We have the elements of the word in scrape, scrub, L. scribo, Gr.]
1.
To move something along the surface of a body with pressure; as, to rub the face or arms with the hand; to rub the body with flannel. Vessels are scoured or cleaned by rubbing them.
2.
To wipe; to clean; to scour; but rub is a generic term, applicable to friction for every purpose.
3.
To touch so as to leave behind something which touches; to spread over; as to rub any thing with oil.
4.
To polish; to retouch; with over.
The whole business of our redemption is to rub over the defaced copy of the creation.
5.
To obstruct by collision. [Unusual.]
In popular language, rub is used for teasing, fretting, upbraiding, reproaching or vexing with gibes or sarcasms.
To rub down, to clean by rubbing; to comb or curry, as a horse.
To rub off, to clean any thing by rubbing; to separate by friction; as, to rub off rust.
1.
To rub out, to erase; to obliterate; as, to rub out marks or letters.
2.
To remove or separate by friction; as, to rub out a stain.
To rub upon, to touch hard.
1.
To rub up, to burnish; to polish; to clean.
2.
To excite; to awaken; to rouse to action; as, to rub up the memory.

RUB

, v.i.
1.
To move along the surface of a body with pressure; as, a wheel rubs against the gate-post.
2.
To fret; to chafe; as, to rub upon a sore.
3.
To move or pass with difficulty; as, to rub through woods, as huntsmen; to rub through the world.

RUB

,
Noun.
1.
The act of rubbing; friction.
2.
That which renders motion or progress difficult; collision; hinderance; obstruction.
Now every rub is smoothed in our way.
Upon this rub the English embassadors thought fit to demur.
All sort of rubs will be laid in the way.
3.
Inequality of ground that hinders the motion of a bowl.
4.
Difficulty; cause of uneasiness; pinch.
To sleep, perchance to dream; ay, there's the rub.
5.
Sarcasm; joke; something grating to the feelings.

RUB

,

Definition 2024

rub

rub

See also: RUB

English

Noun

rub ‎(plural rubs)

  1. An act of rubbing.
    Give that lamp a good rub and see if any genies come out
  2. A difficulty or problem.
    Therein lies the rub.
    • 1594, William Shakespeare, The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark III.i.71-75
      To die, to sleep—/To sleep—perchance to dream. Ay, there's the rub!/For in that sleep of death what dreams may come,/When we have shuffled off this mortal coil,/Must give us pause
    • 1922, James Joyce, Ulysses, Episode 16
      ...the propriety of the cabman's shelter, as it was called, hardly a stonesthrow away near Butt bridge where they might hit upon some drinkables in the shape of a milk and soda or a mineral. But how to get there was the rub.
  3. In the game of crown green bowls: any obstacle by which a bowl is diverted from its normal course.
  4. Any substance designed to be applied by rubbing.
    a heat rub intended for muscular strains
    1. A mixture of spices applied to meat before it is barbecued.

Translations

Verb

rub ‎(third-person singular simple present rubs, present participle rubbing, simple past and past participle rubbed)

  1. (transitive) To move (one object) while maintaining contact with another object over some area, with pressure and friction.
    • 1918, W. B. Maxwell, chapter 7, in The Mirror and the Lamp:
      “[…] This is Mr. Churchill, who, as you are aware, is good enough to come to us for his diaconate, and, as we hope, for much longer; and being a gentleman of independent means, he declines to take any payment.” Saying this Walden rubbed his hands together and smiled contentedly.
    I rubbed the cloth over the glass.‎
    The cat rubbed itself against my leg.‎
    I rubbed my hands together for warmth.‎
  2. (transitive) To rub something against (a second thing).
    I rubbed the glass with the cloth.‎
    • Sir T. Elyot
      It shall be expedient, after that body is cleaned, to rub the body with a coarse linen cloth.
  3. (intransitive) To be rubbed against something.
    My shoes are beginning to rub.‎
  4. (transitive) To spread a substance thinly over; to smear.
    meat rubbed with spices before barbecuing
    • Milton
      The smoothed plank, […] / New rubbed with balm.
  5. (dated) To move or pass with difficulty.
    to rub through woods, as huntsmen‎
  6. To scour; to burnish; to polish; to brighten; to cleanse; often with up or over.
    to rub up silver
    • South
      The whole business of our redemption is to rub over the defaced copy of the creation.
  7. To hinder; to cross; to thwart.
    • Shakespeare
      'Tis the duke's pleasure, / Whose disposition, all the world well knows, / Will not be rubbed nor stopped.

Derived terms

Translations

Anagrams

Czech

Rub of a credit card

Etymology

From Proto-Slavic *rǫbъ ‎(“something which was cut”), from *rǫbati ‎(“to cut, chop”).[1]

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /rup/
  • Rhymes: -up
  • Homophone: rup

Noun

rub m

  1. back (the reverse side)
    rub karty -- back of the card
    rub mince -- reverse of the coin
  2. the other (often negative) aspect of a situation

Declension

Antonyms

Derived terms

See also

References

  1. ↑ rub in Jiří Rejzek, Český etymologický slovník, electronic version, Leda, 2007

Lojban

Rafsi

rub

  1. rafsi of ruble.

Lower Sorbian

Alternative forms

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): [rup]

Verb

rub

  1. second-person singular imperative of rubaś

Manx

Etymology

Borrowing from English rub.

Noun

rub m ‎(genitive singular rub, plural rubbyn)

  1. rub

Verb

rub ‎(verbal noun rubbey or rubbal)

  1. to rub

Serbo-Croatian

Etymology

From Proto-Slavic *rǫbъ.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /rûːb/

Noun

rȗb m ‎(Cyrillic spelling ру̑б)

  1. rim
  2. edge, brink

Declension

Etymology

From Middle English rubben. Cognate with Saterland Frisian rubje ‎(“to rub, scrape”), German Low German rubben ‎(“to rub”), Low German rubblig ‎(“rough, uneven”), Dutch robben, rubben ‎(“to rub smooth; scrape; scrub”), Danish rubbe ‎(“to rub, scrub”), Icelandic and Norwegian rubba ‎(“to scrape”).

Pronunciation

  • (UK) IPA(key): /ɹʌb/, [ɹɐb], enPR: rŭb
  • (US) IPA(key): /ɹʌb/, enPR: rŭb
  • Rhymes: -ʌb

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