rub
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rub¹
- /ɹʌb/ UK, US
- /ɹʊb/ Ireland, Northern England
Rhymes with -ʌb
Where it comes from
Inherited from Middle English rubben, of unknown origin; possibly ultimately from Proto-Germanic *rubbōną, a hypothetical variant of *ruppōną (“to tear (off), rip; to wear away, rub”), related to *reufaną (“to tear”) (> English reave). If so, a doublet of rip.
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”)).
noun rubs
- An act of rubbing. Give that lamp a good rub and see if any genies come out.
- A difficulty or problem. To die, to sleep— / To sleep—perchance to dream. Ay, there's the rub! / For in that sleep of death what dreams may come, / When we have shuffled off this mortal coil, / Must give us pause
- A quip or sarcastic remark.
- In the game of crown green bowls, any obstacle by which a bowl is diverted from its normal course.
- Any substance designed to be applied by rubbing. a heat rub intended for muscular strains
- A mixture of spices applied to meat before it is barbecued.
- A loan.
verb rubs · rubbing · rubbed
- To move (one object) while maintaining contact with another object over some area, with pressure and friction. I rubbed the cloth over the glass.
- To be rubbed against something. My shoes are beginning to rub.
- To spread a substance thinly over; to smear. meat rubbed with spices before barbecuing
- To move or pass with difficulty. to rub through woods, as huntsmen
- To scour; to burnish; to polish; to brighten; to cleanse; often with up or over. to rub up silver
- To hinder; to cross; to thwart. 'Tis the duke's pleasure, / Whose disposition, all the world well knows, / Will not be rubbed nor stopped.
- To touch the jack with the bowl.
Similar: rub
RUB²
noun RUBs
- Any of a group of proteins similar to ubiquitin
- Initialism of rich urban biker
Thesaurus
Closest in meaning: wipe, chafe, scratch, itch, fret, hitch, hang-up, fray, snag, abrade, carve, brush, press, stroke, ointment, shoe
verb
Similar: rub
Translations
Every language
noun any substance designed to be applied by rubbing
| Русский | растира́ние rastiránije, расти́рка rastírka |
|---|
noun act of rubbing
| Español | frotación, frotamiento, frote |
|---|---|
| 中文 | 摩擦 mócā |
| Português | fricção |
| Français | friction |
| Italiano | strofinamento |
| Ελληνικά | τρίψιμο trípsimo |
noun difficulty or problem
| Français | hic |
|---|---|
| Русский | загво́здка zagvózdka, затрудне́ние zatrudnénije |
verb to move one object while maintaining contact with another object over some area
| Español | frotar, fregar, estregar, refrotar, refregar, restregar |
|---|---|
| 한국어 | 비비다 bibida |
| 日本語 | 擦る kosuru |
| 中文 | 擦 cā, 磨 mó, 揉 róu, 蹭 cèng |
| हिन्दी | रगड़ना ragaṛnā |
| Português | esfregar |
| Français | frotter |
| Deutsch | reiben |
| Italiano | strofinare, fregare |
| Ελληνικά | τρίβω trívo |
| Română | freca |
| Русский | тере́ть terétʹ, потере́ть poterétʹ |
| Tiếng Việt | thoa, xoa |
| العربية | حَكَّ ḥakka, فَرَكَ faraka |
| עברית | שפשף shifshéf |
verb to rub something against (a second thing)
| Español | frotar |
|---|---|
| 中文 | 擦 cā |
| Português | esfregar |
| Français | frotter |
| Deutsch | reiben, abreiben |
| Română | freca |
| Русский | тере́ть terétʹ, потере́ть poterétʹ |
| Tiếng Việt | cọ xát |
verb to be rubbed against something
| Español | frotarse |
|---|---|
| Português | raspado |
| Deutsch | sich abreiben, sich abscheuern, sich ablaufen |
| Tiếng Việt | cọ xát |
verb to scour; to burnish; to polish; to brighten; to cleanse
| Français | frotter, polir |
|---|---|
| Deutsch | polieren, aufpolieren, putzen |
Talk about this word "rub." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/rub. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. rub. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/rub "rub." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/rub.Cite this
@misc{rub_2026,
title = {rub},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/rub},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
