Rub
/rʌb/noun
To move something back and forth against a surface with pressure.
Did you know?English rub is likely from a Germanic root meaning “to rub or scrape,” and its close cousins live in words tied to rough contact and abrasion across the Germanic family.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*rubōną
“to rub, scrape”
Old English
OE
rubban
“to rub, scrub”
Middle English
ME
rubben
“to rub, chafe, polish”
Modern English
English
rub
“to move with pressure against a surface”