rub

Etymology

Definitions

1. 1

   An act of rubbing.

   • Give that lamp a good rub and see if any genies come out.
2. 2

   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
   • […] the propriety of the cabman's shelter, as it was called, hardly a stonesthrow away near Butt bridge where they might hit upon some drinkables in the shape of a milk and soda or a mineral. But how to get there was the rub.
3. 3

   A quip or sarcastic remark.

4. ›+ 12 more definitionsshow fewer

   1. 4

      In the game of crown green bowls, any obstacle by which a bowl is diverted from its…

      In the game of crown green bowls, any obstacle by which a bowl is diverted from its normal course.

   2. 5

      Any substance designed to be applied by rubbing.

      • a heat rub intended for muscular strains
   3. 6

      A loan.

   4. 7

      To move (one object) while maintaining contact with another object over some area, with…

      To move (one object) while maintaining contact with another object over some area, with pressure and friction.

      • I rubbed the cloth over the glass.
      • The cat rubbed itself against my leg.
      • I rubbed my hands together for warmth.
   5. 8

      To be rubbed against something.

      • My shoes are beginning to rub.
   6. 9

      To spread a substance thinly over

      To spread a substance thinly over; to smear.

      • meat rubbed with spices before barbecuing
      • The smoothed plank, […] / New rubbed with balm.
   7. 10

      To move or pass with difficulty.

      • to rub through woods, as huntsmen
   8. 11

      To scour

      To scour; to burnish; to polish; to brighten; to cleanse; often with up or over.

      • to rub up silver
      • The whole business of our redemption is, in short, only to rub over the defaced copy of the creation
   9. 12

      To hinder

      To hinder; to cross; to thwart.

      • 'Tis the duke's pleasure, / Whose disposition, all the world well knows, / Will not be rubbed nor stopped.
   10. 13

       To touch the jack with the bowl.

   11. 14

       Any of a group of proteins similar to ubiquitin

   12. 15

       Initialism of rich urban biker.

The neighborhood

• synonymrub
• neighboract sexually
• neighbormake clean
• neighborsexually stimulate
• neighborslide
• neighborabrade
• neighborabrase
• neighborbuff
• neighborburnish
• neighborchafe
• neighborfondle
• neighborfrot
• neighborfrottage