RUB

[verb] -bb- - to press or be pressed against (something) with a circular or up and down repeated movementShe yawned and rubbed her eyes sleepily. [T]I caught him rubbing his bald head with hair restorer. [T]He rubbed (at) the stain on his trousers and made it worse. [T; I + at]We rubbed some polish into the surface of the wood. [T]First rub the baking tray well with butter. [T]Alice rubbed the blackboard clean for the teacher. [T + object + adjective]Your cat keeps on rubbing itself (up) against my leg. [T]She was rubbing her hands (together) at the thought of winning. [T]The branches rubbed against each other in the wind. [I]The chair legs have rubbed holes in the carpet. [T]My new shoes are rubbing (against/on my toe) and now I've got blisters. [I]She gently rubbed the ointment in. [M]These marks will never rub off (= be cleaned off). [I]Alice rubbed the sums off (= cleaned them off) the blackboard for the teacher. [T](UK informal) If two people rub along (together), they work or live together in a satisfactory way.My flat-mate and I rub along okay (together).If you rub down something, or rub something down, you clean it, smooth it, or rub it until it shines.We rubbed the walls down with soap and hot water.Rub the wood down with fine sandpaper till it is smooth.If you rub down a person or animal, or rub a person or animal down, you dry them.I took a towel to rub down my dog.You may think I made a mistake, but you don't have to rub it in (= repeatedly tell me about it).(informal) His parents are lovely, but it's a shame that none of their honesty and kindness has rubbed off on(to) him! (= he has not learnt from their good example).It's in pencil, so you can rub it out (= remove the marks) if you need to.(US slang) He was rubbed out (= murdered) by the Mafia.(informal) She claims that she rubs shoulders with (US also rubs elbows with) (= meets) royalty all the time.Just to rub her nose in it/the dirt (= tell her of something in order to make her feel unhappy), I put my certificate up on the wall.As soon as they met they started to (UK and ANZ) rub each other up the wrong way/(US) rub each other the wrong way (= to annoy each other without intending to).Rubbing alcohol is US for surgical spirit (= alcohol used to clean injuries).A rub-down is an act of cleaning or smoothing something or drying a person or animal.a cold shower and a rub-down with a towel