# rubber

Pronunciation: US say "RUB-ur" /ˈɹʌbɚ/; say "RUB-uh" UK /ˈɹʌbə/, AUS /ˈɹɐbə/

## Noun

1. A stretchy, elastic material (either tapped from certain trees or manufactured synthetically) that returns to its original shape after being stretched or bent.
   - Simple: A stretchy material that springs back into shape, made either from tree sap or in factories.
   - _Manufacturers blend natural and synthetic rubber to get the durability they need._
   - _The seal around the door is made of soft rubber that keeps water out._
2. Pliable material made from the milky sap of the rubber tree; chemically, a hydrocarbon polymer built from isoprene units.
   - Simple: A soft, bendy material that comes from the milky sap of certain tropical trees.
   - _Tappers score the bark each morning to gather the latex that becomes rubber._
   - _Raw rubber is processed and cured before it can be used in tires._
3. A small implement used to rub out pencil marks from paper, typically made of rubber or a similar soft material. *(Australia, Brunei, India, New Zealand, UK)*
   - Simple: A small tool used to rub out pencil marks from paper.
   - _He pulled a rubber from his pencil case to correct the wrong answer._
   - _The invigilator handed out spare rubbers to students who had forgotten theirs._
4. A condom, especially the external type worn during sex to prevent pregnancy and infection. *(slang, Canada, US)*
   - Simple: A thin cover worn during sex to stop pregnancy and disease.
   - _She reminded him to keep a rubber in his wallet just in case._
   - _The clinic handed out free rubbers to anyone who asked._
5. Waterproof overshoes, such as galoshes, pulled on over ordinary shoes to keep them dry in rain or snow. *(Canada, US)*
   - Simple: Waterproof covers that slip over shoes to keep feet dry in wet weather.
   - _One rubber had split at the heel, so Grandpa finally bought a new pair before the first snowfall._
   - _The children's rubbers were lined up by the door, dripping from the rain._
6. Tires considered collectively, especially the high-performance tires used in motor racing. *(slang)*
   - Simple: A vehicle's tires, especially the ones used in racing.
   - _The team gambled on softer rubber to gain speed in the closing stages._
   - _Worn rubber cost him the lead as his grip faded into the last corner._
7. The flat rectangular slab set into the pitcher's mound, which a pitcher must keep contact with while delivering the ball.
   - Simple: A flat rectangular plate on the pitcher's mound that a baseball pitcher must touch while throwing.
   - _He stepped off the rubber to shake off the catcher's sign._
   - _The umpire warned him for leaving the rubber too early on his delivery._
8. A deciding game or match played to break a tie, after each competitor has won an equal number of the previous games. *(Canada, US)*
   - Simple: A final game played to break a tie when each side has won the same number.
   - _With the series tied at one apiece, the rubber would decide the champion._
   - _He saved his best performance for the rubber and clinched the title._
9. A complete series of games (an odd number, so a tie is impossible) especially the best-of-three played in bridge or whist.
   - Simple: A whole set of games, usually three, played until one side wins the most.
   - _The two pairs settled in for a rubber of whist by the fire._
   - _She won the rubber after taking two games to one._
10. A single game or match forming one part of a longer series between two competitors, especially in racket sports.
   - Simple: A single match that is one part of a larger series, often in racket sports.
   - _Britain took the opening rubber in the Davis Cup tie before squandering their lead._
   - _The match came down to the final rubber between the two top-ranked singles players._
11. The card game of bridge in its traditional form, scored over a series of games known as rubbers.
   - Simple: A form of the card game bridge scored in sets called rubbers.
   - _The retirees gathered every afternoon for a few hands of rubber bridge._
   - _He prefers rubber bridge to the tournament-style duplicate game._
12. A person or thing that rubs something, especially against a surface.
   - Simple: A person or thing that rubs against something.
   - _Each rubber in the polishing line buffs the surface to a shine._
   - _The old rubber had worn flat and no longer smoothed the metal._
13. A coarse towel used for rubbing the body, as after bathing.
   - Simple: A rough towel used to rub the body dry.
   - _She kept a coarse rubber by the tub for drying off after a soak._
   - _Sailors used a rough rubber to scrub the salt water from their skin._
14. An abrasive tool used for rubbing, such as a whetstone, file, or piece of emery cloth.
   - Simple: A rough tool used to wear down or smooth a surface, like a file.
   - _She drew the knife across the rubber until the edge was keen._
   - _A worn rubber no longer bites into the metal it is meant to grind._
15. A person who practices massage, working the muscles by rubbing and kneading.
   - Simple: A person whose job is to rub and knead the body to ease aches.
   - _After the match the team's rubber kneaded the tension from his legs._
   - _A skilled rubber can find every tight muscle along the spine._
16. A person who rubs down horses, cleaning and drying their coats.
   - Simple: A person who cleans and dries down horses by rubbing them.
   - _The trainer hired a steady rubber to tend the horses after every workout._
   - _A good rubber leaves no sweat on the animal's flanks before evening._
21. The cushion that presses against the rotating glass of an early electrostatic machine, generating charge by friction.
   - Simple: The soft pad that rubs against the spinning part of an old electric machine to make a charge.
   - _Sparks leapt from the machine as the rubber dragged against the spinning glass._
   - _A leather-faced rubber pressed firmly to the cylinder, drawing charge with every turn._

## Verb

17. To watch or stare at something with rude, excessive curiosity. *(slang)*
   - Simple: To stare at something with too much nosy interest.
   - _Passersby gathered to rubber at the commotion outside the courthouse._
   - _The whole bus rubbered at the celebrity boarding at the next stop._
18. To secretly listen in on another person's telephone call.
   - Simple: To secretly listen in on someone else's phone call.
   - _Curious subscribers liked to rubber on the party line whenever the phone rang next door._
   - _He rubbered on the call long enough to learn where they were headed._

## Adjective

19. Of a check, not backed by enough money in the account to be paid. *(slang)*
   - Simple: Of a check, having no money behind it, so it bounces.
   - _She was fined for passing a rubber check at the dealership._
   - _A string of rubber checks finally landed him in court._

## Noun

20. A hardship or piece of bad luck. *(dated)*
   - Simple: A piece of bad luck or a hard time.
   - _The shipwreck was the cruelest rubber the old sailor had known._
   - _After such a rubber, he wondered whether fortune would ever favor him._

## Origin

Formed from 'rub' plus '-er'. The name for the substance comes from its use as an eraser (rubbing out marks), replacing the earlier word 'caoutchouc'. Meanings unrelated to rubbing or erasing later came from the name of the substance itself.

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/rubber (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).