rub

rub is a 3-letter English word with 21 senses as transitive verb, intransitive verb, noun, and verb in the JumbleFix dictionary. One common meaning is: To subject (a body) to the action of something moving over its surface with pressure and friction, especially to the action of something moving back and forth; as, to rub the flesh with the hand; to rub wood with sandpaper. Face value is 5 in Scrabble and 7 in Words With Friends. Use the entries below when you need a playable sense, a nearby word, or another arrangement of the same letters.

3 letters · Scrabble 5 · Words With Friends 7 · 21 senses

Definitions

1. transitive verb. To subject (a body) to the action of something moving over its surface with pressure and friction, especially to the action of something moving back and forth; as, to rub the flesh with the hand; to rub wood with sandpaper.
2. transitive verb. To move over the surface of (a body) with pressure and friction; to graze; to chafe; as, the boat rubs the ground.
3. transitive verb. To cause (a body) to move with pressure and friction along a surface; as, to rub the hand over the body.
4. transitive verb. To spread a substance thinly over; to smear.
5. transitive verb. To scour; to burnish; to polish; to brighten; to cleanse; -- often with up or over; as, to rub up silver.
6. transitive verb. To hinder; to cross; to thwart.
7. intransitive verb. To move along the surface of a body with pressure; to grate; as, a wheel rubs against the gatepost.
8. intransitive verb. To fret; to chafe; as, to rub upon a sore.
9. intransitive verb. To move or pass with difficulty; as, to rub through woods, as huntsmen; to rub through the world.
10. noun. The act of rubbing; friction.
11. noun. That which rubs; that which tends to hinder or obstruct motion or progress; hindrance; obstruction, an impediment; especially, a difficulty or obstruction hard to overcome; a pinch.
12. noun. Inequality of surface, as of the ground in the game of bowls; unevenness.
13. noun. Something grating to the feelings; sarcasm; joke; as, a hard rub.
14. noun. Imperfection; failing; fault.
15. noun. A chance.
16. noun. A stone, commonly flat, used to sharpen cutting tools; a whetstone; -- called also rubstone.
17. noun. the act of rubbing or wiping

    "he gave the hood a quick rub"

    Synonyms: wipe

18. noun. an unforeseen obstacle

    Synonyms: hitch, snag

19. verb. move over something with pressure

    "rub my hands"

    "rub oil into her skin"

20. verb. cause friction

    "my sweater scratches"

    Synonyms: chafe, fray, fret, scratch

21. verb. scrape or rub as if to relieve itching

    "Don't scratch your insect bites!"

    Synonyms: itch, scratch

Synonyms

wipe, hitch, snag, chafe, fray, fret, scratch, itch

Anagrams

Other playable words that use exactly the letters in rub:

bur, urb

Common word forms

rubs, rubes, rubbed, rubber, rubbing

Words from these letters

If you are holding these tiles, the unscrambler for RUB lists every valid word you can make from the same letters, including shorter plays.