RUBBER

n. 1 a tough elastic polymeric substance made from the latex of plants or synthetically. 2 esp. Brit. a piece of this or another substance for erasing pencil or ink marks. 3 colloq. a condom. 4 (in pl.) US galoshes. 5 a person who rubs; a masseur or masseuse. 6 a an implement used for rubbing. b part of a machine operating by rubbing. ørubber band a loop of rubber for holding papers etc. together. rubber plant 1 an evergreen plant, Ficus elastica, with dark-green shiny leaves, often cultivated as a house-plant. 2 (also rubber tree) any of various tropical trees yielding latex, esp. Hevea brasiliensis. rubber solution a liquid drying to a rubber-like material, used esp. as an adhesive in mending rubber articles. rubber stamp 1 a device for inking and imprinting on a surface. 2 a a person who mechanically copies or agrees to others' actions. b an indication of such agreement. rubber-stamp v.tr. approve automatically without proper consideration. øørubbery adj. rubberiness n. [RUB(1) + -ER(1), from its early use to rub out pencil marks]