rub: [14] The antecedents of rub are unclear. It may have been borrowed from Low German rubben, but since it is not known where that came from, it does not get us much further. The derivative rubber [16] was originally used simply for ‘something for rubbing with’. But since the substance obtained from rubber trees was early on used for pencil erasers, it became known from the end of the 18th century as rubber (or in full India-rubber, from its place of origin). It is not clear whether rubber ‘set of games’ [16], which originated as a bowls term, is the same word. => rubber
rub (v.)
early 14c., transitive and intransitive, of uncertain origin, perhaps related to East Frisian rubben "to scratch, rub," and Low German rubbeling "rough, uneven," or similar words in Scandinavian (compare Danish rubbe "to rub, scrub," Norwegian rubba), of uncertain origin. Related: Rubbed; rubbing.
To rub (someone) the wrong way is from 1853; probably the notion is of cats' fur. To rub noses in greeting as a sign of friendship (attested from 1822) formerly was common among Eskimos, Maoris, and some other Pacific Islanders. Rub out "obliterate" is from 1560s; underworld slang sense of "kill" is recorded from 1848, American English. Rub off "remove by rubbing" is from 1590s; meaning "have an influence" is recorded from 1959.
rub (n.)
"act of rubbing," 1610s, from rub (v.); earlier "obstacle, inequality on ground" (1580s, common in 17c.) which is the figure in Hamlet's there's the rub (1602).
雙語例句
1. I was hoping some of his genius might rub off.
我希望他的才華也可以影響他人。
來自柯林斯例句
2. Rub the surface of the wood in preparation for the varnish.
打磨木頭的表面，為刷清漆做準備。
來自柯林斯例句
3. Nobody else believed that they had tried to rub out the pope.
其他人都不相信他們試圖殺死教皇。
來自柯林斯例句
4. Prick the potatoes and rub the skins with salt.
將馬鈴薯戳一些洞，并用鹽揉搓外皮。
來自柯林斯例句
5. His enemies will attempt to rub his nose in past policy statements.