5  definitions  found 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Rub  \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  {on},  to  go  on  with  difficulty;  as  they 
  manage,  with  strict  economy,  to  rub  along  [Colloq.] 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Rub  \Rub\,  n.  [Cf.  W.  rhwb.  See  Rub,  v,t,] 
  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  --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. 
 
  3.  Inequality  of  surface,  as  of  the  ground  in  the  game  of 
  bowls;  unevenness.  --Shak. 
 
  4.  Something  grating  to  the  feelings;  sarcasm;  joke;  as  a 
  hard  rub. 
 
  5.  Imperfection;  failing;  fault.  [Obs.]  --Beau.  &  Fl 
 
  6.  A  chance.  [Obs.] 
 
  Flight  shall  leave  no  Greek  a  rub.  --Chapman. 
 
  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 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  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. 
 
  It  shall  be  expedient,  after  that  body  is  cleaned, 
  to  rub  the  body  with  a  coarse  linen  cloth.  --Sir  T. 
  Elyot. 
 
  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. 
  --Arbuthnot. 
 
  4.  To  spread  a  substance  thinly  over  to  smear. 
 
  The  smoothed  plank,  .  .  .  New  rubbed  with  balm. 
  --Milton. 
 
  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.  --South. 
 
  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.  --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. 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Rub  \Rub\,  n. 
 
  {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.  Rubaiyat 
  \Ru*bai*yat"\,  n.  pl.;  sing.  {Rubai}.  [Ar.  rub[=a]'iy[=a]h 
  quatrian,  pl  of  rub[=a]'iy  having  four  radicals,  fr 
  rub[=a]'  four.] 
  Quatrians  as  the  Rubaiyat  of  Omar  Khayyam  Sometimes  in  pl 
  construed  as  sing.,  a  poem  in  such  stanzas. 
 
  From  WordNet  r  1.6  [wn]: 
 
  rub 
  n  1:  an  unforeseen  obstacle  [syn:  {hang-up},  {hitch},  {snag}] 
  2:  the  act  of  rubbing  or  wiping;  "he  gave  the  hood  a  quick  rub" 
  [syn:  {wipe}] 
  v  1:  move  over  something  with  pressure;  "rub  my  back";  "rub  oil 
  into  her  skin" 
  2:  cause  friction  [syn:  {fray},  {fret},  {chafe},  {scratch}] 
  3:  scrape  or  rub  as  if  to  relieve  itching  [syn:  {scratch},  {itch}] 

browse words by letter
a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z
or search   thesauri dictionary search words