Rub

Part of speech: verb

Pronunciation: /ɹʌb/

Definitions

1. To apply pressure and move something back and forth across a surface repeatedly
2. To move one object forcefully against another repeatedly to create friction ; a source of trouble or inconvenience ; the act of pressing and moving something over a surface
3. To cause friction by moving something across another's surface ; a situation causing annoyance or complication ; the action of massaging or polishing by repeated movement

Etymology: The verb "rub" is one of those English words whose ancestry is murky even to specialists. Middle English had "rubben", and its origin is unknown, though it may trace back to a hypothetical Proto-Germanic variant of a verb meaning "to tear" or "to rip." If that link holds, the word is a close relative of "rip," a sister formed from the same root with a gentler sense: where tearing breaks a surface apart, rubbing wears it away by friction. The rest of the family is spread across the North Sea. Dutch "robben" and "rubben" meant to rub smooth or scrape, Danish "rubbe" meant to scrub, and Icelandic and Norwegian "rubba" meant to scrape. These cognates suggest a shared Germanic idea of working a surface roughly back and forth, which fits the English sense of applying pressure across something repeatedly.

Synonyms: friction, scrub, massage, grate, polish

Antonyms: smooth, leave alone