Rubber

Pronunciation

• UK IPA: /ˈɹʌbÉ™(ɹ)/, ˈɹɐbÉ™(ɹ)
• US IPA: /ˈɹʌbÉš/
• Rhymes: -ÊŒbÉ™(r)

In the sense of an eraser, rub + -er; in the sense of pliable material, derived from the previous sense of eraser; the other senses derived from the pliable material sense.

Full definition of rubber

Noun

1. (uncountable) Pliable material derived from the sap of the rubber tree; a hydrocarbon polymer of isoprene.
2. (uncountable, countable) Synthetic materials with the same properties as natural rubber.
3. (countable, Commonwealth) An eraser.
• 2006, Lisa Kervin, Research for Educators, page 148,For example, they may use paddle pop sticks, hand span, pencils, rubbers, mathematics equipment (i.e. base 10 material) or anything else the teacher can find to measure the lengths of nominated objects.
• 2010, Anna Jacobs, Beyond the Sunset, unnumbered page,Drawing materials, he thought, I used to love drawing as a lad. I can afford some plain paper and pencils, surely? And a rubber, too. He smiled at the memory of an elderly uncle, also fond of drawing, who′d always called rubbers ‘lead eaters’.
• 2011, Patrick Lindsay, The Spirit of the Digger, Revised edition, unnumbered page,Stan stole a diary and some pens, pencils, ink and rubbers during his early days as a POW working on the Singapore docks.
4. (countable, North America, slang) A condom.
5. (slang, of a draft/check) Not covered by funds on account.
6. (countable) Someone or something which rubs.
7. (countable, baseball) The rectangular pad on the pitcher's mound from which the pitcher must pitch.Jones toes the rubber and then fires to the plate.
8. (North America, in the plural) Water resistant shoe covers, galoshes, overshoes.Johnny, don't forget your rubbers today.
9. (uncountable, slang) Tires, particularly racing tires.Jones enters the pits to get new rubber.
10. (countable) A series of games or contests, especially a match consisting of the best of a series of three games in bridge or whist.
• 1907 May 25, in The Publishers' Weekly, number 1843, page 1608 http://books.google.com/books?id=ZCADAAAAYAAJ&dq=%22her%20grand-aunt%22&pg=PA1608#v=onepage&q=%22her%20grand-aunt%22&f=false:... an old lady's innocent rubber.

Synonyms

• (condom) see .

Derived terms

Origin unknown.

Noun

1. (sports) A series of an odd number of games or matches of which a majority must be won (thus precluding a tie).
2. (sports) A game or match played to break a tie.
3. The game of rubber bridge.Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, "Still, I confess that I miss my rubber. It is the first Saturday night for seven-and-twenty years that I have not had my rubber." "I think you will find that you will play for a higher stake to-night than you have ever done yet, and that the play will be more exciting."

Verb

1. To eavesdrop on a telephone call----