Noun
the act of rubbing or wiping; "he gave the hood a quick rub"

Noun
an unforeseen obstacle

Verb
move over something with pressure; "rub my hands"; "rub oil into her skin"

Verb
cause friction; "my sweater scratches"

Verb
scrape or rub as if to relieve itching; "Don''t scratch your insect bites!"

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v. t.
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.

v. t.
To move over the surface of (a body) with pressure and friction; to graze; to chafe; as, the boat rubs the ground.

v. t.
To cause (a body) to move with pressure and friction along a surface; as, to rub the hand over the body.

v. t.
To spread a substance thinly over; to smear.

v. t.
To scour; to burnish; to polish; to brighten; to cleanse; -- often with up or over; as, to rub up silver.

v. t.
To hinder; to cross; to thwart.

v. i.
To move along the surface of a body with pressure; to grate; as, a wheel rubs against the gatepost.

v. i.
To fret; to chafe; as, to rub upon a sore.

v. i.
To move or pass with difficulty; as, to rub through woods, as huntsmen; to rub through the world.

n.
The act of rubbing; friction.

n.
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.

n.
Inequality of surface, as of the ground in the game of bowls; unevenness.

n.
Something grating to the feelings; sarcasm; joke; as, a hard rub.

n.
Imperfection; failing; fault.

n.
A chance.

n.
A stone, commonly flat, used to sharpen cutting tools; a whetstone; -- called also rubstone.

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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.

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

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.]

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.

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. 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.

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.

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.

To move along the surface of a body with pressure; to grate; as, a wheel rubs against the gatepost.

The act of rubbing; friction.