rub

Definitions

1. 1.To move over the surface of (a body) with pressure and friction; to graze; to chafe; as, the boat rubs the ground.
2. 2.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.
3. 3.To spread a substance thinly over; to smear. The smoothed plank, . . . New rubbed with balm. Milton.
4. 4.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.
5. 5.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. Shak. 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.
6. 6.To move along the surface of a body with pressure; to grate; as, a wheel rubs against the gatepost.
7. 7.To fret; to chafe; as, to rub upon a sore.
8. 8.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.]
9. 9.The act of rubbing; friction.
10. 10.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. Shak. To sleep, perchance to dream; ay, there's the rub. Shak. 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.
11. 11.Inequality of surface, as of the ground in the game of bowls; unevenness. Shak.
12. 12.Something grating to the feelings; sarcasm; joke; as, a hard rub.
13. 13.Imperfection; failing; fault. [Obs.] Beau. & Fl.
14. 14.A chance. [Obs.] Flight shall leave no Greek a rub. Chapman.
15. 15.A stone, commonly flat, used to sharpen cutting tools; a whetstone; -- called also rubstone. Rub iron, an iron guard on a wagon body, against which a wheel rubs when cramped too much.

Source: Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913 edition (public domain, via GCIDE / Project Gutenberg).

Synonyms

Related questions

• What does "rub" mean?
• What is another word for "rub"?

Reverse-dictionary questions

Definition-first questions whose answer is rub.

• What is to move over the surface of (a body) with pressure and friction; to graze; to chafe; as, the boat rubs the ground called?
• What is 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 called?
• What is to spread a substance thinly over; to smear. The smoothed plank, . . . New rubbed with balm. Milton called?
• What is 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 called?
• What is to move along the surface of a body with pressure; to grate; as, a wheel rubs against the gatepost called?
• What is to fret; to chafe; as, to rub upon a sore called?
• What is inequality of surface, as of the ground in the game of bowls; unevenness. Shak called?
• What is something grating to the feelings; sarcasm; joke; as, a hard rub called?
• What is imperfection; failing; fault. [Obs.] Beau. & Fl called?
• What is a chance. [Obs.] Flight shall leave no Greek a rub. Chapman called?
• What is a stone, commonly flat, used to sharpen cutting tools; a whetstone; -- called also rubstone. Rub iron, an iron guard on a wagon body, against which a wheel rubs when cramped too much called?