Main Entry:

¹rub

Pronunciation:

\ˈrəb\

Function:

verb

Inflected Form(s):

rubbed; rub·bing

Etymology:

Middle English rubben; akin to East Frisian rubben to rub, scrape, Icelandic rubba to scrape

Date:

14th century

intransitive verb1 a: to move along the surface of a body with pressure : grate b (1): to fret or chafe with or as if with friction (2): to cause discontent, irritation, or anger2: to continue in a situation usually with slight difficulty <in spite of financial difficulties, he is rubbing along>3: to admit of being rubbed (as for erasure or obliteration)transitive verb1 a: to subject to or as if to the action of something moving especially back and forth with pressure and friction b (1): to cause (a body) to move with pressure and friction along a surface (2): to treat in any of various ways by rubbing c: to bring into reciprocal back-and-forth or rotary contact2: annoy, irritate

— rub elbows or rub shoulders

: to associate closely : mingle

— rub one's nose in

: to bring forcefully or repeatedly to one's attention

— rub the wrong way

: antagonize, irritate