ALL meanings of rubbing
rub·bing
R r - noun rubbing an act or instance of rubbing: an alcohol rub. 1
- noun rubbing something that annoys or irritates one's feelings, as a sharp criticism, a sarcastic remark, or the like: to resent rubs concerning one's character. 1
- noun rubbing an annoying experience or circumstance. 1
- noun rubbing an obstacle, impediment, or difficulty: We'd like to travel, but the rub is that we have no money. 1
- noun rubbing a rough or abraded area caused by rubbing. 1
- verb with object rubbing to subject the surface of (a thing or person) to pressure and friction, as in cleaning, smoothing, polishing, coating, massaging, or soothing: to rub a table top with wax polish; to rub the entire back area. 1
- verb with object rubbing to move (something) back and forth or with a rotary motion, as against or along another surface: to rub the cloth over the glass pane. 1
- verb with object rubbing to spread or apply (something) with pressure and friction over something else or a person: to rub lotion on her chapped hands. 1
- verb with object rubbing to move (two things) with pressure and friction over or back and forth over each other (often followed by together): He rubbed his hands together. 1
- verb with object rubbing to mark, polish, force, move, etc. (something) by pressure and friction (often followed by over, in, or into). 1
- verb with object rubbing to remove by pressure and friction; erase (often followed by off or out). 1
- verb without object rubbing to exert pressure and friction on something. 1
- verb without object rubbing to move with pressure against something. 1
- verb without object rubbing to admit of being rubbed in a specified manner: Chalk rubs off easily. 1
- verb without object rubbing Chiefly British. to proceed, continue in a course, or keep going with effort or difficulty (usually followed by on, along, or through): He manages to rub along. 1
- idioms rubbing rub it in, Informal. to emphasize or reiterate something unpleasant in order to tease or annoy: The situation was embarrassing enough without having you rub it in. 1
- idioms rubbing rub salt in / into someone's wounds. salt1 (def 23). 1
- idioms rubbing rub the wrong way, to irritate; offend; annoy: a manner that seemed to rub everyone the wrong way. 1
- idioms rubbing rub up, British Informal. to refresh one's memory of (a subject, language, etc.). 1
- countable noun rubbing A rubbing is a picture that you make by putting a piece of paper over a carved surface and then rubbing wax or chalk over it. 0
- noun rubbing an impression taken of an incised or raised surface, such as a brass plate on a tomb, by laying paper over it and rubbing with wax, graphite, etc 0
- noun rubbing an impression of a design, picture, etc. incised or in relief on a surface (as of a gravestone), taken by placing a piece of paper on it and rubbing over the paper with graphite, wax, etc. 0