rubber
▪ I. rub·ber [rubber rubbers] BrE [ˈrʌbə(r)] NAmE [ˈrʌbər] noun
1. uncountable a strong substance that can be stretched and does not allow liquids to pass through it, used for making tyres, boots, etc. It is made from the liquid (= ↑sap ) inside a tropical plant or is produced using chemicals
•a ball made of rubber
•a rubber tree
see also ↑foam rubber, ↑India rubber
2. countable (BrE) (also eraser NAmE, BrE)a small piece of rubber or a similar substance, used for removing pencil marks from paper; a piece of soft material used for removing ↑chalk marks from a ↑blackboard
3. countable (old-fashioned, informal, especially NAmE) = ↑condom
4. countable (in some card games or sports) a competition consisting of a series of games or matches between the same teams or players
more at burn rubber at ↑burn v.
Idiom: ↑where the rubber meets the road
See also: ↑eraser
Word Origin:
n. senses 1 to 3 and adj. mid 16th cent. ↑rub ↑-er ‘an implement (such as a hard brush) used for rubbing and cleaning’ caoutchouc rubber ‘eraser’ ↑India rubbern. sense 4 late 16th cent.
▪ II. rub·ber adjective usually before noun
•a rubber ball
•rubber gloves
Main entry: ↑rubberderived
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