Link Centre Dictionary

rub

UK/ɹʊb/ US/ɹʌb/ common slang uk
verb (3) noun (2)

verb

1.

move over something with pressure

  • “rub my hands”
  • “rub oil into her skin”
2.

cause friction

  • “my sweater scratches”
Synonyms
3.

scrape or rub as if to relieve itching

  • “Don”
Synonyms

noun

1.
2.

the act of rubbing or wiping

  • “he gave the hood a quick rub”
Synonyms

Origin

Inherited from Middle English rubben, of unknown origin; possibly ultimately from Proto-Germanic *rubbōną, related to *reufaną (“to tear”). 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”). More at reave. Compare typologically Latin fricō < friō < Proto-Indo-European *bʰreyH- (whence also Russian брить (britʹ, “to shave”)).

Phrases

  • chest rub
  • chub rub
  • Dutch rub
  • hand rub
  • heat rub
  • Martindale rub test
  • Princeton rub
  • rub along
  • rub and tug
  • rub away
  • rub down
  • rub elbows

Related words

Word family

Broader terms

Narrower terms

See also

Entails

WordNet 2.1 (Princeton University). Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). CMU Pronouncing Dictionary. WordNet 2.1 Copyright Princeton University. All rights reserved. Wiktionary content is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike Licence.