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verb Rub v. t. (past & past part. rubbed; pres. part. rubbing) 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. "It shall be expedient, after that body is cleaned, to rub the body with a coarse linen cloth." 2.To move over the surface of (a body) with pressure and friction; to graze; to chafe; as, the boat rubs the ground. 3.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." 4.To spread a substance thinly over; to smear. "The smoothed plank,... New rubbed with balm." 5.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." 6.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." 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.
Rub v. i. 1.To move along the surface of a body with pressure; to grate; as, a wheel rubs against the gatepost. 2.To fret; to chafe; as, to rub upon a sore. 3.To move or pass with difficulty; as, to rub through woods, as huntsmen; to rub through the world. To rub along or To rub on, to go on with difficulty; as, they manage, with strict economy, to rub along. (Colloq.)
noun Rub n. 1.The act of rubbing; friction. 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. "Every rub is smoothed on our way." "To sleep, perchance to dream; ay, there's the rub." "Upon this rub, the English ambassadors thought fit to demur." "One knows not, certainly, what other rubs might have been ordained for us by a wise Providence." 3.Inequality of surface, as of the ground in the game of bowls; unevenness. 4.Something grating to the feelings; sarcasm; joke; as, a hard rub. 5.Imperfection; failing; fault. (Obs.) 6.A chance. (Obs.) "Flight shall leave no Greek a rub." 7.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. 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.
Collaborative International Dictionary of English 0.48
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