Rub
[rʌb]
Definition
(noun.) the act of rubbing or wiping; 'he gave the hood a quick rub'.
(verb.) move over something with pressure; 'rub my hands'; 'rub oil into her skin'.
(verb.) cause friction; 'my sweater scratches'.
(verb.) scrape or rub as if to relieve itching; 'Don't scratch your insect bites!'.
Inputed by Hannibal--From WordNet
Definition
(v. t.) 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.
(v. t.) To move over the surface of (a body) with pressure and friction; to graze; to chafe; as, the boat rubs the ground.
(v. t.) To cause (a body) to move with pressure and friction along a surface; as, to rub the hand over the body.
(v. t.) To spread a substance thinly over; to smear.
(v. t.) To scour; to burnish; to polish; to brighten; to cleanse; -- often with up or over; as, to rub up silver.
(v. t.) To hinder; to cross; to thwart.
(v. i.) To move along the surface of a body with pressure; to grate; as, a wheel rubs against the gatepost.
(v. i.) To fret; to chafe; as, to rub upon a sore.
(v. i.) To move or pass with difficulty; as, to rub through woods, as huntsmen; to rub through the world.
(n.) The act of rubbing; friction.
(n.) 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.
(n.) Inequality of surface, as of the ground in the game of bowls; unevenness.
(n.) Something grating to the feelings; sarcasm; joke; as, a hard rub.
(n.) Imperfection; failing; fault.
(n.) A chance.
(n.) A stone, commonly flat, used to sharpen cutting tools; a whetstone; -- called also rubstone.
Typed by Blanche
Synonyms and Synonymous
v. a. [1]. Abrade, scrape, chafe, grate.[2]. Wipe, clean, scour.
v. n. Grate, chafe.
n. Obstacle, difficulty, embarrassment, perplexity, dilemma, nonplus, poser, quandary, puzzle, knotty point, nice point.
Checker: Stan
Definition
v.t. to move something over the surface of with pressure or friction: to clean polish or smooth by passing something over: to wipe: to scour: to remove by friction (with off out): to erase or obliterate (with out): to touch hard fret: at bowls to touch the jack with the bowl.—v.i. to move along with pressure friction or difficulty: to get through difficulties: to grate to fret:—pr.p. rub′bing; pa.t. and pa.p. rubbed.—n. the act of rubbing: that which rubs: a collision: an obstruction: difficulty: a pinch: a joke: a sarcasm: a flaw: a rubber at cards.—ns. Rub′-a-dub the sound of the drum when beaten; Rub′-ī′ron a wheel-guard or wheel-guard plate; Rub′stone a whetstone: a coarse-grained sandstone used for sharpening instruments.—Rubbed work work in stone smoothed by rubbing with gritstone; Rub down to rub from top to bottom; Rub in to force into the pores of by friction: to reiterate or emphasise; Rub out to erase; Rub the wrong way to irritate by opposition; Rub up to polish: to freshen the memory.
Edited by Hardy
Examples
- He bent down so low to frown at his boots, that he was able to rub the calves of his legs in the pause he made. Charles Dickens. Great Expectations.
- Sit down and put them on and rub thy feet well, she said. Hemingway, Ernest. For Whom The Bell Tolls.
- Robert Jordan saw him rub his leg along the horse's flank affectionately. Hemingway, Ernest. For Whom The Bell Tolls.
- Cut the camomile in pieces and rub fine with the sal-ammoniac; add the lavender water and vinegar by placing all in a glass flask and let it digest for twelve hours and filter. William K. David. Secrets of Wise Men, Chemists and Great Physicians.
- Rub with muriatic acid diluted with water, care being taken that it is not too strong. William K. David. Secrets of Wise Men, Chemists and Great Physicians.
- Rub the solids in a mortar until they liquefy, then add the oil of peppermint. William K. David. Secrets of Wise Men, Chemists and Great Physicians.
- After writing the original place it face downward on the pad, and rub it gently with the hand to insure contact at every point. William K. David. Secrets of Wise Men, Chemists and Great Physicians.
- In the same odd way, yet with the same rapidity, he then produced singly, and rubbed out singly, the letters forming the words Bleak House. Charles Dickens. Bleak House.
- Fernando hawked and spat proudly onto the floor of the cave, then rubbed it in the dirt with his foot. Hemingway, Ernest. For Whom The Bell Tolls.
- Be careful that the starch is rubbed in until the right side is wet all over. William K. David. Secrets of Wise Men, Chemists and Great Physicians.
- Holmes rubbed his hands. Arthur Conan Doyle. The Return of Sherlock Holmes.
- The Jew rubbed his hands with a chuckle, but glanced uneasily at the box, notwithstanding. Charles Dickens. Oliver Twist.
- Its main features are described as follows: The types, being rubbed or scraped narrower toward the foot, were to be fixed radially upon a cylinder. Edward W. Byrn. The Progress of Invention in the Nineteenth Century.
- I will, though I have no whiskers,' here he rubbed the places where they were due, 'and no manners, and no conversation! Charles Dickens. Our Mutual Friend.
- Thank you, Dobbin, he said, rubbing his eyes with his knuckles, I was just--just telling her I would. William Makepeace Thackeray. Vanity Fair.
- Well, Thquire,' he returned, taking off his hat, and rubbing the lining with his pocket-handkerchief, which he kept inside for the purpose. Charles Dickens. Hard Times.
- Grandfather Smallweed inquires, slowly rubbing his legs. Charles Dickens. Bleak House.
- I hope we shall meet again, Sir,' said the powdered-headed footman, rubbing his hands, and following Sam out to the door-step. Charles Dickens. The Pickwick Papers.
- Finally he sprang from his chair with a cry of satisfaction, and walked up and down the room rubbing his hands together. Arthur Conan Doyle. The Return of Sherlock Holmes.
- In 1770 Dr. Priestley published the fact that this rubber had become notable for rubbing out pencil marks, bits of it being sold for a high price for that purpose. William Henry Doolittle. Inventions in the Century.
- Let's,' said Mr Boffin, rubbing his hands in his pleasantly childish admiration, 'let's try a letter next. Charles Dickens. Our Mutual Friend.
- Grandfather Smallweed rubs his legs. Charles Dickens. Bleak House.
- She rubs everything that can be rubbed, until it shines, like her own honest forehead, with perpetual friction. Charles Dickens. David Copperfield.
- When an insect visits a flower of this kind, it rubs off some of the viscid matter, and thus at the same time drags away some of the pollen-grains. Charles Darwin. On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection.
- Mr. Tulkinghorn rubs his head with the key while she entertains herself with a sarcastic laugh. Charles Dickens. Bleak House.
- Having distributed these little specimens of his tact, Mr. Bucket rubs his hands. Charles Dickens. Bleak House.
- He returns rubbing his chin, and rubs it a good deal in the course of the evening. Charles Dickens. Bleak House.
- Mr Venus rubs an eyebrow, interrogatively. Charles Dickens. Our Mutual Friend.
Typed by Greta