rub out

R r

Transcription

- US Pronunciation
- US IPA
- UK Pronunciation
- UK IPA
- [ruhb out]
- /rʌb aʊt/
- /rʌb ˈaʊt/

- US Pronunciation
- US IPA
- [ruhb out]
- /rʌb aʊt/

Definitions of rub out words

verb with object rub out 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 rub out 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 rub out 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 rub out 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 rub out to mark, polish, force, move, etc. (something) by pressure and friction (often followed by over, in, or into). 1
verb with object rub out to remove by pressure and friction; erase (often followed by off or out). 1

See all 28 definitions of rub out

Information block about the term

Origin of rub out

First appearance:

before 1300

One of the 15% oldest English words

1300-50; 1860-65 for def 18b; Middle English rubben (v.); cognate with Frisian rubben, Danish rubbe, Swedish rubba

Historical Comparancy

Parts of speech for Rub out

noun

adjective

verb

adverb

pronoun

preposition

conjunction

determiner

exclamation

Full grammatical hierarchy of Rub out

rub out popularity

A common word. It’s meaning is known to most children of preschool age. About 97% of English native speakers know the meaning and use the word.

Most Europeans know this English word. The frequency of it’s usage is somewhere between "mom" and "screwdriver".

rub out usage trend in Literature

This diagram is provided by Google Ngram Viewer

Synonyms for rub out

verb rub out

annihilate — To annihilate something means to destroy it completely.
black out — If you black out, you lose consciousness for a short time.
bleep — A bleep is a short, high-pitched sound, usually one of a series, that is made by an electrical device.
bleeping — (used as a substitute word for one regarded as objectionable): Get that bleeping cat out of here!
blot out — If one thing blots out another thing, it is in front of the other thing and prevents it from being seen.

noun rub out

assassination — to kill suddenly or secretively, especially a politically prominent person; murder premeditatedly and treacherously.
decapitation — to cut off the head of; behead: Many people were decapitated during the French Revolution.
gassing — an affecting, overcoming, or poisoning with gas or fumes.
impalement — to fasten, stick, or fix upon a sharpened stake or the like.
lethal injection — dose of deadly chemical into a vein

All 68 Synonyms of rub out