Adjacent Words

rubber definitions

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WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

adj
1: returned for lack of funds; "a rubber check"; "a no-good check" [syn: rubber, no-good] n
1: an elastic material obtained from the latex sap of trees (especially trees of the genera Hevea and Ficus) that can be vulcanized and finished into a variety of products [syn: rubber, natural rubber, India rubber, gum elastic, caoutchouc]
2: any of various synthetic elastic materials whose properties resemble natural rubber [syn: rubber, synthetic rubber]
3: an eraser made of rubber (or of a synthetic material with properties similar to rubber); commonly mounted at one end of a pencil [syn: rubber eraser, rubber, pencil eraser]
4: contraceptive device consisting of a sheath of thin rubber or latex that is worn over the penis during intercourse [syn: condom, rubber, safety, safe, prophylactic]
5: a waterproof overshoe that protects shoes from water or snow [syn: arctic, galosh, golosh, rubber, gumshoe] v
1: coat or impregnate with rubber; "rubberize fabric for rain coats" [syn: rubberize, rubberise, rubber]

Merriam Webster's

I. noun Date: 1536 1. a. one that rubs b. an instrument or object (as a rubber eraser) used in rubbing, polishing, scraping, or cleaning c. something that prevents rubbing or chafing 2. [from its use in erasers] a. an elastic substance that is obtained by coagulating the milky juice of any of various tropical plants (as of the genera Hevea and Ficus), is essentially a polymer of isoprene, and is prepared as sheets and then dried — called also caoutchouc, india rubber b. any of various synthetic rubberlike substances c. natural or synthetic rubber modified by chemical treatment to increase its useful properties (as toughness and resistance to wear) and used especially in tires, electrical insulation, and waterproof materials 3. something made of or resembling rubber: as a. a rubber overshoe b. (1) a rubber tire (2) the set of tires on a vehicle c. a rectangular slab of white rubber in the middle of a baseball infield on which a pitcher stands while pitching d. condom 1 • rubber adjective II. noun Etymology: origin unknown Date: 1599 1. a contest consisting of an odd number of games won by the side that takes a majority (as two out of three) 2. an odd game played to determine the winner of a tie

Britannica Concise

Organic compound, an elastic polymer made from the latex of various rubber trees and rubber plants, especially Hevea brasiliensis. Natural rubber, still important industrially, now competes with synthetic alternatives (see neoprene). Rubber's usefulness is based on its unique elasticity, which allows it to be deformed (stretched) and to recover its shape; it is made possible by vulcanization with sulfur or another cross-linking agent (essentially changing the polymer from thermoplastic to thermosetting; see plastics), along with accelerators and activators. Fillers and other additives allow tailoring of properties to the desired use (e.g., by foaming, shaping, and curing). More than half of all rubber goes into making tires; the rest is used principally in belts, hoses, gaskets, shoes, clothing, furniture, and toys.

Oxford Reference Dictionary

1. n. 1 a tough elastic polymeric substance made from the latex of plants or synthetically. 2 esp. Brit. a piece of this or another substance for erasing pencil or ink marks. 3 colloq. a condom. 4 (in pl.) US galoshes. 5 a person who rubs; a masseur or masseuse. 6 a an implement used for rubbing. b part of a machine operating by rubbing. Phrases and idioms: rubber band a loop of rubber for holding papers etc. together. rubber plant 1 an evergreen plant, Ficus elastica, with dark-green shiny leaves, often cultivated as a house-plant. 2 (also rubber tree) any of various tropical trees yielding latex, esp. Hevea brasiliensis. rubber solution a liquid drying to a rubber-like material, used esp. as an adhesive in mending rubber articles. rubber stamp 1 a device for inking and imprinting on a surface. 2 a a person who mechanically copies or agrees to others' actions. b an indication of such agreement. rubber-stamp v.tr. approve automatically without proper consideration. Derivatives: rubbery adj. rubberiness n. Etymology: RUB(1) + -ER(1), from its early use to rub out pencil marks 2. n. 1 a match of three or five successive games between the same sides or persons at whist, bridge, cricket, lawn tennis, etc. 2 (prec. by the) a the act of winning two games in a rubber. b a third game when each side has won one. Etymology: orig. unkn.: used as a term in bowls from c. 1600

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Rubber Rub"ber, n. 1. One who, or that which, rubs. Specifically: (a) An instrument or thing used in rubbing, polishing, or cleaning. (b) A coarse file, or the rough part of a file. (c) A whetstone; a rubstone. (d) An eraser, usually made of caoutchouc. (e) The cushion of an electrical machine. (f) One who performs massage, especially in a Turkish bath. (g) Something that chafes or annoys; hence, something that grates on the feelings; a sarcasm; a rub. --Thackeray. 2. In some games, as whist, the odd game, as the third or the fifth, when there is a tie between the players; as, to play the rubber; also, a contest determined by the winning of two out of three games; as, to play a rubber of whist. --Beaconsfield. ``A rubber of cribbage.'' --Dickens. 3. India rubber; caoutchouc. 4. An overshoe made of India rubber. [Colloq.]

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(rubbers) 1. Rubber is a strong, waterproof, elastic substance made from the juice of a tropical tree or produced chemically. It is used for making tyres, boots, and other products. ...the smell of burning rubber. 2. Rubber things are made of rubber. ...rubber gloves. ADJ: usu ADJ n 3. A rubber is a small piece of rubber or other material that is used to remove mistakes that you have made while writing, drawing, or typing. (BRIT; in AM, use eraser) N-COUNT 4. A rubber is a condom. (AM INFORMAL) N-COUNT

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

n. Caoutchouc, india-rubber, gum-elastic.

Moby Thesaurus

Buna, Butyl rubber, IUD, India rubber, Lastex, Paul Pry, ace, bag, baleen, battledore, best bower, birth control device, blubber, bower, breeze, butt-in, butter, caoutchouc, cards, caucho, chewing gum, clay, clubs, cold rubber, condom, contraceptive, contraceptive foam, crepe, crepe rubber, crude rubber, cushion, deck, deuce, diamonds, diaphragm, dough, down, dummy, ebonite, eiderdown, elastic, elastomer, eradicator, eraser, expunger, face cards, feather bed, feathers, fleece, floss, flue, fluff, flush, foam, full house, gum, gum elastic, hand, handball, hearts, intermeddler, intrauterine device, jack, joker, jumping jack, kapok, king, knave, latex, left bower, nose, oral contraceptive, pack, pair, pessary, picture cards, pillow, playing cards, plush, polyurethane rubber, prophylactic, pudding, puff, putty, queen, quidnunc, racket, round, royal flush, rubber ball, rubber band, rubberized, rubberlike, rubberneck, rubbery, ruff, satin, silicone rubber, silk, singleton, skin, snoop, spades, spandex, spermicidal jelly, spermicide, sponge, spring, springboard, straight, stretch fabric, swansdown, synthetic rubber, the pill, thistledown, trampoline, trey, trick, trump, velvet, wax, whalebone, wool, zephyr