rub

rub
rub1 S3 [rʌb] v past tense and past participle rubbed present participle rubbing
[Date: 1300-1400; Origin: Perhaps from Low German rubben]
1.) [I and T]
to move your hand, or something such as a cloth, backwards and forwards over a surface while pressing firmly
→↑stroke
rub your nose/chin/eyes/forehead etc
She yawned and rubbed her eyes.
rub sth with sth
She began rubbing her hair with a towel.
You'll have to rub harder if you want to get it clean.
I hurriedly rubbed myself dry.
2.) [I and T]
to make something press against something else and move it around
rub sth against/on sth
She stood by the oven, rubbing one bare foot against the other.
rub against
The cat purred loudly, rubbing against her legs.
rub sth together
We tried to make a fire by rubbing two pieces of wood together.
He rubbed his hands together with embarrassment.
3.) [I and T]
if shoes, clothes, or parts of a machine rub, they move around while pressing against another surface, often causing pain or damage
Badly fitting shoes are bound to rub.
rub against/on
The front left fender was smashed and rubbing against the wheel.
The skin under my sock was rubbed raw (=the skin had come off) .
4.) [T always + adverb/preposition]
to put a substance into or onto a surface by pressing it and moving it about with your fingers or something such as a cloth
Can you rub some sun cream on my back for me?
5.) rub shoulders with sb
informal also rub elbows with somebody AmE
to meet and spend time with people, especially rich and famous people
As a reporter he gets to rub shoulders with all the big names in politics.
6.) rub salt into the wound informal
to make a bad situation even worse for someone
7.) rub sb up the wrong way
BrE informal rub sb the wrong way AmE informal to annoy someone by the things you say or do, usually without intending to
8.) be rubbing your hands informal
to be pleased because something has happened which gives you an advantage, especially because something bad has happened to someone else
9.) rub sb's nose in it/in the dirt informal
to keep reminding someone about something they did wrong or failed to do, especially in order to punish them
10.) not have two pennies/halfpennies/beans to rub together
BrE old-fashioned to not have any money
rub along phr v
to have a friendly relationship with someone
= ↑get along
We rub along well most of the time.
rub along with/together
By and large the Poles and Germans of the city had shown that they could rub along together.
rub down [rub sth/sb<=>down] phr v
1.) to make a surface smooth by rubbing it with ↑sandpaper
That door needs rubbing down before you paint it.
2.) to dry a person or animal by rubbing them with a cloth, ↑towel etc
The groom rubbed down the horses.
3.) to ↑massage someone, especially after exercise
rub in [rub sth<=>in] phr v
to remind someone about something they want to forget, especially because they are embarrassed about it
Was he trying to rub in the fact that he didn't think much of me?
I know I should have been more careful, but there's no need to keep rubbing it in .
rub off phr v
1.) to remove something from a surface by rubbing it, or to come off a surface because of being rubbed
rub sth off sth
Jack rubbed the mud off his face.
rub sth<=>off
She rubbed off her lipstick and eye shadow.
Some of the gold paint had begun to rub off.
2.) if a feeling, quality, or habit rubs off on you, you start to have it because you are with another person who has it
rub off on
She refused to give up, and her confidence rubbed off on the others.
rub out [rub sth/sb<=>out] phr v
1.) BrE to remove writing, a picture etc from a surface by rubbing it with a piece of rubber, a cloth etc
= ↑erase
Draw the outline lightly with a soft pencil. This can be rubbed out later.
2.) AmE old-fashioned informal to murder someone
rub 2
rub2 n
1.) give sb/sth a rub
to rub something or ↑massage someone for a short time
Give the table a good rub with a damp cloth.
2.) there's/here's the rub
literary used when saying that a particular problem is the reason why a situation is so difficult - often used humorously

Dictionary of contemporary English. 2013.

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  • rub — ► VERB (rubbed, rubbing) 1) apply firm pressure to (a surface) with a repeated back and forth motion. 2) move to and fro against a surface while pressing or grinding against it. 3) apply with a rubbing action. 4) (rub down) dry, smooth, or clean… …   English terms dictionary

  • Rub — Rub, v. 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… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • rub — rub; rub·bage; rub·ber·ize; rub·ber·man; rub·bery; rub·bidge; rub·bish·ing; rub·bish·ly; rub·bishy; rub·ble·man; rub·bly; rub·eryth·ric; rub·eryth·rin·ic; rub·ber; rub·bish; rub·ble; mar·rub; rub·ber·neck·er; …   English syllables

  • rub — /rub/, v., rubbed, rubbing, n. v.t. 1. 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 …   Universalium

  • rub — [rub] vt. rubbed, rubbing [ME rubben, akin to Dan rubbe, EFris rubben < IE * reup , to tear out < base * reu , to dig, tear out > ROB, RIP1, RUG, RUBBLE, L rumpere, to break] 1. to move one s hand, a cloth, etc. over (a surface …   English World dictionary

  • Rub — Rub, n. [Cf. W. rhwb. See Rub, v,t,] 1. The act of rubbing; friction. [1913 Webster] 2. That which rubs; that which tends to hinder or obstruct motion or progress; hindrance; obstruction, an impediment; especially, a difficulty or obstruction… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • rub — (v.) late 14c., perhaps related to E.Fris. rubben to scratch, rub, and Low Ger. rubbeling rough, uneven, or similar words in Scandinavian (Cf. Dan. rubbe to rub, scrub, Norw. rubba), of uncertain origin. Related: Rubbed; rubbing. Hamlet s there s …   Etymology dictionary

  • Rub — Rub, v. i. 1. To move along the surface of a body with pressure; to grate; as, a wheel rubs against the gatepost. [1913 Webster] 2. To fret; to chafe; as, to rub upon a sore. [1913 Webster] 3. To move or pass with difficulty; as, to rub through… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Rub — may stand for* RUB, Russian ruble currency code * Ruhr Universität BochumRub may refer to: * the Kuliak languages of Uganda * Spice rub, consisting of spices blended together to season and flavor raw pork, beef, chicken, fish, and wild game… …   Wikipedia

  • Rüb — oder Rueb ist der Familienname folgender Personen: Alexander Rueb (1882–1959), niederländischer Schachfunktionär, erster Präsident des Weltschachbundes FIDE Friedbert W. Rüb (* 1953), deutscher Politikwissenschaftler Fritz Rueb (* 1925),… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • rub — rȗb m <N mn rȕbovi> DEFINICIJA krajnji dio neke površine, ono čime ona završava, što je obrubljuje [pun do ruba; na rubu ponora; rub haljine]; kraj FRAZEOLOGIJA (biti) na rubu (čijeg) interesa donekle pobuđivati čiji interes, biti vrijedan… …   Hrvatski jezični portal

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