rubber

1 of 2

noun (1)

rub·​ber ˈrə-bər 

1

a

: one that rubs

b

: an instrument or object (such as a rubber eraser) used in rubbing, polishing, scraping, or cleaning

c

: something that prevents rubbing or chafing

2

[from its use in erasers]

a

: an elastic substance that is obtained by coagulating the milky juice of any of various tropical plants (as of the genera Hevea and Ficus), is essentially a polymer of isoprene, and is prepared as sheets and then dried

called also caoutchouc, india rubber

b

: any of various synthetic rubberlike substances

c

: natural or synthetic rubber modified by chemical treatment to increase its useful properties (such as toughness and resistance to wear) and used especially in tires, electrical insulation, and waterproof materials

3

: something made of or resembling rubber: such as

a

: a rubber overshoe

b(1)

: a rubber tire

(2)

: the set of tires on a vehicle

c

: a rectangular slab of white rubber in the middle of a baseball infield on which a pitcher stands while pitching

d

: condom sense 1

rubber adjective

rubber

2 of 2

noun (2)

1

: a contest consisting of an odd number of games won by the side that takes a majority (such as two out of three)

2

: an odd game played to determine the winner of a tie

Examples of rubber in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Meet Nashville's new crime-fighting Clydesdale Metro Nashville mounted patrol officer Michael Douglas squeezed a three-foot-long rubber chicken, producing an increasingly louder and closer screeching sound to try and provoke a 1,700-pound Clydesdale named Ross. —Laura L. Davis, Nashville Tennessean, 6 Oct. 2025

Federal officers fired rubber bulled and used tear gas. —Jason Ma, Fortune, 5 Oct. 2025

Although in-hand images of the pair aren’t yet available, the White/Multi-Color style is expected to feature a white ribbed leather upper that’s offset by green on the Air Jordan 12’s faux reptile mudguard, midsole and its rubber outsole. —Riley Jones, Footwear News, 5 Oct. 2025

Max Verstappen set the early time to beat on hard tyres before Hamilton briefly went quickest as the track started to evolve and rubber started getting put down by the cars. —Alex Harrington, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Oct. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Noun (2)

origin unknown

First Known Use

Noun (1)

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Noun (2)

1594, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing rubber

• burn rubber
• butyl rubber
• foam rubber
• hard rubber
• india rubber
• Para rubber
• Para rubber tree
• rubber band
• rubber boot
• rubber bridge
• rubber bullet
• rubber cement
• rubber check
• rubber-chicken
• rubber plant
• rubber rabbitbrush
• rubber stamp
• rubber tree
• silicone rubber
• sponge rubber

Rhymes for rubber

• blubber
• liber
• scrubber
• snubber

Kids Definition

rubber

1 of 2 noun

rub·​ber ˈrəb-ər 

1

: something used in rubbing, polishing, scraping, or cleaning

2

a

: an elastic substance obtained from the milky juice of various tropical plants

b

: any of various synthetic substances like rubber

3

: something made of or resembling rubber: as

a

: a rubber overshoe

b

: a rectangular slab of white rubber in the middle of a baseball infield on which a pitcher stands while pitching

4

: condom

rubberlike

-ˌlīk

adjective

rubbery

ˈrəb-(ə-)rē

adjective

rubber

2 of 2 noun

1

: a contest that consists of an odd number of games (as card games) and is won by the side that takes a majority (as two out of three)

2

: an extra game played to decide the winner of a tie

Medical Definition

rubber

noun

rub·​ber ˈrəb-ər 

1

: an elastic substance that is obtained by coagulating the milky juice of any of various tropical plants (as of the genera Hevea and Ficus), is essentially a polymer of isoprene, and is prepared as sheets and then dried

called also caoutchouc, india rubber

2

: condom sense 1