rub

[ruhb] /rʌb/
verb (used with object), rubbed, rubbing.
1.
to subject the surface of (a thing or person) to pressure and friction, as in cleaning, smoothing, polishing, coating, massaging, or soothing:
to rub a table top with wax polish; to rub the entire back area.
2.
to move (something) back and forth or with a rotary motion, as against or along another surface:
to rub the cloth over the glass pane.
3.
to spread or apply (something) with pressure and friction over something else or a person:
to rub lotion on her chapped hands.
4.
to move (two things) with pressure and friction over or back and forth over each other (often followed by together):
He rubbed his hands together.
5.
to mark, polish, force, move, etc. (something) by pressure and friction (often followed by over, in, or into).
6.
to remove by pressure and friction; erase (often followed by off or out).
verb (used without object), rubbed, rubbing.
7.
to exert pressure and friction on something.
8.
to move with pressure against something.
9.
to admit of being rubbed in a specified manner:
Chalk rubs off easily.
10.
Chiefly British. to proceed, continue in a course, or keep going with effort or difficulty (usually followed by on, along, or through):
He manages to rub along.
noun
11.
an act or instance of rubbing:
an alcohol rub.
12.
something that annoys or irritates one's feelings, as a sharp criticism, a sarcastic remark, or the like:
to resent rubs concerning one's character.
13.
an annoying experience or circumstance.
14.
an obstacle, impediment, or difficulty:
We'd like to travel, but the rub is that we have no money.
15.
a rough or abraded area caused by rubbing.
Verb phrases
16.
rub down,
  1. to smooth off, polish, or apply a coating to:
    to rub a chair down with sandpaper.
  2. to give a massage to.
17.
rub off on, to become transferred or communicated to by example or association:
Some of his good luck must have rubbed off on me.
18.
rub out,
  1. to obliterate; erase.
  2. Slang. to murder:
    They rubbed him out before he could get to the police.
Idioms
19.
rub it in, Informal. to emphasize or reiterate something unpleasant in order to tease or annoy:
The situation was embarrassing enough without having you rub it in.
20.
rub the wrong way, to irritate; offend; annoy:
a manner that seemed to rub everyone the wrong way.
21.
rub up, British Informal. to refresh one's memory of (a subject, language, etc.).
Origin
1300-50; 1860-65 for def 18b; Middle English rubben (v.); cognate with Frisian rubben, Danish rubbe, Swedish rubba
Related forms
unrubbed, adjective
well-rubbed, adjective
Synonyms
14. hitch, catch, thing, trouble, pinch.
British Dictionary definitions for rub the wrong way

rub

/rʌb/
verb rubs, rubbing, rubbed
1.
to apply pressure and friction to (something) with a circular or backward and forward motion
2.
to move (something) with pressure along, over, or against (a surface)
3.
to chafe or fray
4.
(transitive) to bring into a certain condition by rubbing: rub it clean
5.
(transitive) to spread with pressure, esp in order to cause to be absorbed: he rubbed ointment into his back
6.
(transitive) to mix (fat) into flour with the fingertips, as in making pastry
7.
foll by off, out, away, etc. to remove or be removed by rubbing
8.
(bowls) (of a bowl) to be slowed or deflected by an uneven patch on the green
9.
(transitive) often foll by together. to move against each other with pressure and friction (esp in the phrases rub one's hands, often a sign of glee, anticipation, or satisfaction, and rub noses, a greeting among Inuit people)
10.
(informal) rub someone's nose in it, to remind someone unkindly of his failing or error
11.
rub up the wrong way, to arouse anger (in); annoy
12.
(informal) rub shoulders with, rub elbows with, to mix with socially or associate with
noun
13.
the act of rubbing
14.
the rub, an obstacle or difficulty (esp in the phrase there's the rub)
15.
something that hurts the feelings or annoys; rebuke
16.
(bowls) an uneven patch in the green
17.
any roughness or unevenness of surface
18.
  1. (golf) an incident of accidental interference with the ball
  2. (informal) a piece of good or bad luck
See also rub along, rub down, rub in, rub off, rub out, rub up
Word Origin
C15: perhaps from Low German rubben, of obscure origin
Word Origin and History for rub the wrong way

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 (cf. 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.

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).

rub the wrong way in Medicine

rub (rŭb)
n.

  1. The application of friction and pressure.

  2. Such a procedure applied to the body.

Slang definitions & phrases for rub the wrong way

rub

noun
  1. A dancing party (1920s+ Students)
  2. A session of hugging and kissing (1930s+ Students)
  3. A complaint; beef, bitch: What's your rub? (1990s+)
verb

rub out (1848+)


Idioms and Phrases with rub the wrong way

rub the wrong way

Irritate, annoy, as in His remarks about welfare rubbed a great many people the wrong way. This idiom alludes to rubbing an animal's fur in the wrong direction. [ Mid-1800s ]
Also see: ruffle someone's feathers

rub

also see:
the rub