'Rub' definitions:
Definition of 'rub'
From: WordNet
noun
noun
The act of rubbing or wiping; "he gave the hood a quick rub" [syn: rub, wipe]
verb
Move over something with pressure; "rub my hands"; "rub oil into her skin"
verb
verb
Definition of 'Rub'
From: GCIDE
- 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 of something moving back and forth; as, to rub the flesh with the hand; to rub wood with sandpaper. [1913 Webster]
- It shall be expedient, after that body is cleaned, to rub the body with a coarse linen cloth. --Sir T. Elyot. [1913 Webster]
- 2. To move over the surface of (a body) with pressure and friction; to graze; to chafe; as, the boat rubs the ground. [1913 Webster]
- 3. To cause (a body) to move with pressure and friction along a surface; as, to rub the hand over the body. [1913 Webster]
- Two bones rubbed hard against one another. --Arbuthnot. [1913 Webster]
- 4. To spread a substance thinly over; to smear. [1913 Webster]
- The smoothed plank, . . . New rubbed with balm. --Milton. [1913 Webster]
- 5. To scour; to burnish; to polish; to brighten; to cleanse; -- often with up or over; as, to rub up silver. [1913 Webster]
- The whole business of our redemption is to rub over the defaced copy of the creation. --South. [1913 Webster]
- 6. To hinder; to cross; to thwart. [R.] [1913 Webster]
- 'T is the duke's pleasure, Whose disposition, all the world well knows, Will not be rubbed nor stopped. --Shak. [1913 Webster]
- 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. [1913 Webster]
Definition of 'Rub'
From: GCIDE
- 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 woods, as huntsmen; to rub through the world. [1913 Webster]
- To rub along or on, to go on with difficulty; as, they manage, with strict economy, to rub along. [Colloq.] [1913 Webster]
Definition of 'Rub'
From: GCIDE
- 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 hard to overcome; a pinch. [1913 Webster]
- Every rub is smoothed on our way. --Shak. [1913 Webster]
- To sleep, perchance to dream; ay, there's the rub. --Shak. [1913 Webster]
- Upon this rub, the English ambassadors thought fit to demur. --Hayward. [1913 Webster]
- One knows not, certainly, what other rubs might have been ordained for us by a wise Providence. --W. Besant. [1913 Webster]
- 3. Inequality of surface, as of the ground in the game of bowls; unevenness. --Shak. [1913 Webster]
- 4. Something grating to the feelings; sarcasm; joke; as, a hard rub. [1913 Webster]
- 5. Imperfection; failing; fault. [Obs.] --Beau. & Fl. [1913 Webster]
- 6. A chance. [Obs.] [1913 Webster]
- Flight shall leave no Greek a rub. --Chapman. [1913 Webster]
- 7. A stone, commonly flat, used to sharpen cutting tools; a whetstone; -- called also rubstone. [1913 Webster]
- Rub iron, an iron guard on a wagon body, against which a wheel rubs when cramped too much.
- Rub of the green (Golf), anything happening to a ball in motion, such as its being deflected or stopped by any agency outside the match, or by the fore caddie. [1913 Webster + Webster 1913 Suppl.]
Synonyms of 'rub'
From: Moby Thesaurus
- ablate,
- abrade,
- abrase,
- afflict,
- aggravate,
- agonize,
- ail,
- air-dry,
- anhydrate,
- annoy,
- apple of discord,
- attouchement,
- bake,
- bandage,
- bar,
- bark,
- bathe,
- bite,
- block,
- blockade,
- blot,
- bone of contention,
- bone to pick,
- bother,
- bottleneck,
- breath,
- brush,
- brush by,
- buff,
- burn,
- burnish,
- care for,
- caress,
- casus belli,
- catch,
- catch a likeness,
- chafe,
- character,
- characterize,
- chart,
- clash,
- clashing,
- climacteric,
- clutch,
- come in contact,
- conflict,
- confrication,
- contact,
- contention,
- contingence,
- convergence of events,
- convulse,
- cordon,
- crimp,
- crisis,
- critical juncture,
- critical point,
- crossroads,
- crow to pick,
- crow to pluck,
- crucial period,
- crucify,
- crunch,
- crux,
- cure,
- curtain,
- cut,
- cutaneous sense,
- dehumidify,
- dehydrate,
- delineate,
- depict,
- desiccate,
- determent,
- deterrent,
- diagnose,
- diagram,
- difficulty,
- disaccord,
- disaffinity,
- discord,
- discordance,
- discordancy,
- Discordia,
- disharmony,
- distress,
- doctor,
- drain,
- draw,
- drawback,
- dry,
- emergency,
- enmity,
- erase,
- Eris,
- erode,
- evaporate,
- exasperate,
- excoriate,
- excruciate,
- exigency,
- exsiccate,
- extremity,
- feel,
- feel up,
- feeling,
- fester,
- file,
- fingertip caress,
- finish,
- fire,
- flick,
- flux,
- fondle,
- fray,
- frazzle,
- fret,
- frication,
- friction,
- frictionize,
- frottage,
- furbish,
- gall,
- give care to,
- give pain,
- glance,
- glaze,
- gloss,
- gnaw,
- gnaw away,
- grate,
- graze,
- grind,
- gripe,
- grounds for war,
- hamper,
- hand-mindedness,
- hang-up,
- harrow,
- hazard,
- heal,
- hinge,
- hit,
- hit off,
- hitch,
- hurdle,
- hurt,
- impediment,
- impinge,
- impingement,
- impingence,
- incompatibility,
- incompatibleness,
- inflame,
- inflict pain,
- inharmoniousness,
- inharmony,
- insolate,
- irk,
- irritate,
- jangle,
- jar,
- joker,
- kill by inches,
- kiln,
- kiss,
- knead,
- lacerate,
- lambency,
- lap,
- lick,
- light touch,
- limn,
- luster,
- map,
- martyr,
- martyrize,
- massage,
- minister to,
- mischief,
- mummify,
- nettle,
- nip,
- noncooperation,
- nose,
- notate,
- nudge,
- nurse,
- nuzzle,
- objection,
- obstacle,
- obstruction,
- obstructive,
- one small difficulty,
- open conflict,
- operate on,
- osculate,
- osculation,
- pain,
- paint,
- parch,
- pass,
- peeve,
- perfrication,
- pet,
- physic,
- picture,
- picturize,
- pierce,
- pinch,
- plaster,
- polish,
- portray,
- poultice,
- prick,
- print,
- prolong the agony,
- provoke,
- purge,
- push,
- put to torture,
- rack,
- rankle,
- rasp,
- raze,
- register,
- remedy,
- render,
- represent,
- rile,
- rub against,
- rub away,
- rub down,
- rub noses,
- rub off,
- rub out,
- rubbing,
- ruffle,
- schematize,
- scorch,
- scour,
- scrape,
- scrub,
- scuff,
- sear,
- sense of touch,
- shave,
- shine,
- shrivel,
- sideswipe,
- skim,
- skin,
- skirt,
- sleek,
- slick,
- slick down,
- smoke,
- snag,
- soak up,
- sore point,
- splint,
- sponge,
- squeak by,
- stab,
- sting,
- strained relations,
- strait,
- strap,
- stroke,
- stumbling block,
- stumbling stone,
- sun,
- sun-dry,
- swab,
- symbolize,
- tactile sense,
- taction,
- take a rubbing,
- tangency,
- tap,
- tender spot,
- tension,
- tentative contact,
- tentative poke,
- ticklish issue,
- torment,
- torrefy,
- torture,
- touch,
- touching,
- towel,
- trace,
- trace out,
- trace over,
- traverse,
- treat,
- turn,
- turning point,
- tweak,
- twist,
- unharmoniousness,
- unpleasantness,
- varnish,
- vex,
- wax,
- wear,
- wear away,
- weazen,
- whisper,
- wipe,
- wither,
- wizen,
- wound,
- wring,
- write