rub
/rʌb/
noun
- An act of rubbing a surface with your hand or an object.
- A gentle rub on the back helped him relax.
- She gave the stain a hard rub, but it wouldn't come out.
- Give the table a quick rub with a damp cloth.
- A difficulty or problem; the main obstacle in a situation.
- There's the rub: we need a permit, and it takes weeks to get one.
- The only rub is that the store closes early on Sundays.
- The plan sounds good, but the rub is that we don't have enough money.
verb
- To move your hand or an object back and forth against a surface, often to clean, dry, or apply pressure.
- He rubbed the table with a cloth to remove the dust.
- She rubbed her eyes after waking up.
- The cat rubbed against my leg.
- To apply a substance (like cream or oil) by pressing and moving it into a surface.
- The chef rubbed the meat with spices.
- He rubbed sunscreen on his arms before going to the beach.
- Rub the lotion into your skin gently.
- To cause friction or irritation by pressing and moving against something.
- My new shoes rub against my heels and cause blisters.
- The rope rubbed against the rock and began to fray.
- His collar rubbed his neck all day.