1rub 
/ˈrʌb/ verb
rubs; rubbed; rub·bing /ˈrʌb/ verb 1 : to move something (such as your hand or an object) back and forth along the surface of (something) while pressing [+ obj] ▪ Could you rub my shoulders? ▪ He blinked and rubbed his eyes. ▪ The cat rubbed itself against my leg. [no obj] ▪ The cat rubbed against my leg. ▪ Don't rub too hard or you'll tear the paper. 2 : to move (two things) back and forth against each other [+ obj] ▪ He rubbed his hands with glee. — often + together ▪ I rubbed my hands together to warm them up. ▪ The sound you hear is the crickets rubbing their legs together. ▪ We learned how to rub two sticks together to start a fire. [no obj] ▪ There was a squeak when the boards rubbed together. 3 : to move back and forth many times against something in a way that causes pain or damage [no obj] ▪ The back of my shoe is rubbing against my heel and giving me a blister. ▪ There are marks where the chair has rubbed against the wall. [+ obj] ▪ There are marks where the chair has been rubbing the wall. ▪ I rubbed my knees raw scrambling over the rocks. 4 [+ obj] : to spread (something) over and into a surface by pressing firmly with your hands
▪ We rubbed the steaks with spices before we grilled them. = We rubbed spices onto the steaks before we grilled them. ▪ I rubbed the ointment onto my sore muscles.
▪ We rubbed the steaks with spices before we grilled them. = We rubbed spices onto the steaks before we grilled them. ▪ I rubbed the ointment onto my sore muscles.
rub along
[phrasal verb] Brit, informal : to work, play, etc., together with little or no difficulty
▪ We rub along [=get along] well enough, but we're not really close friends.
▪ We rub along [=get along] well enough, but we're not really close friends.
rub down [phrasal verb]
rub (someone or something) down or rub down (someone or something) : to rub (a person or animal's body) with your hands in order to clean, dry, or massage it
▪ The trainer rubbed down the players after the game to keep them from getting sore. — see also rubdown
▪ The trainer rubbed down the players after the game to keep them from getting sore. — see also rubdown
rub elbows with (US) or rub shoulders with
informal : to meet and talk with (someone) in a friendly way
▪ The award dinner gave me the opportunity to rub elbows with some of today's greatest American poets.
▪ The award dinner gave me the opportunity to rub elbows with some of today's greatest American poets.
rub in [phrasal verb]
rub (something) in or rub in (something) informal : to keep reminding someone of (something that person would like to forget)
▪ She keeps rubbing in the fact that she makes more money than I do. ▪ I know I made a mistake, but you don't have to rub it in.
▪ She keeps rubbing in the fact that she makes more money than I do. ▪ I know I made a mistake, but you don't have to rub it in.
rub off [phrasal verb] 1 : to come off of a surface and often stick to another surface when the surfaces touch each other
▪ Be careful that the ink doesn't rub off on your fingers. ▪ The paint on the desk is beginning to rub off. — often used figuratively ▪ Her positive attitude rubbed off on other people. [=other people began to have a positive attitude from being around her] ▪ I wish some of your good luck would rub off on me. [=I wish that I would start having good luck too] 2 rub (something) off or rub off (something) : to remove (something) from a surface by rubbing
▪ I rubbed the dirt off (of) the penny.
▪ Be careful that the ink doesn't rub off on your fingers. ▪ The paint on the desk is beginning to rub off. — often used figuratively ▪ Her positive attitude rubbed off on other people. [=other people began to have a positive attitude from being around her] ▪ I wish some of your good luck would rub off on me. [=I wish that I would start having good luck too]
▪ I rubbed the dirt off (of) the penny.
rub out [phrasal verb] 1 rub (something) out or rub out (something) chiefly Brit : to remove (something) by rubbing especially with an eraser
▪ She rubbed out [=(chiefly US) erased] the wrong answer from her paper and filled in the correct one. 2 rub (someone) out or rub out (someone) US, informal : to murder (someone)
▪ They say that the Mafia rubbed him out.
▪ She rubbed out [=(chiefly US) erased] the wrong answer from her paper and filled in the correct one.
▪ They say that the Mafia rubbed him out.
rub salt in/into someone's wounds or rub salt in/into the wound
informal : to make a difficult situation even worse for someone
▪ It's bad enough that he beat me, but the way he keeps talking about it is just rubbing salt in the wound.
▪ It's bad enough that he beat me, but the way he keeps talking about it is just rubbing salt in the wound.
rub someone's nose in
informal : to repeatedly remind someone of (a mistake, failure, etc.)
▪ He beat us all in the race and then rubbed our noses in it.
▪ He beat us all in the race and then rubbed our noses in it.
rub (someone) the wrong way (US) or Brit rub (someone) up the wrong way
informal : to cause (someone) to be angry or annoyed : irritate
▪ She meant to be helpful but her suggestion really rubbed me the wrong way.
▪ She meant to be helpful but her suggestion really rubbed me the wrong way.
