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rubber

/ˈɹʌbə/ noun

In Latin: gumma Wiktionary

noun Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about rubber at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

  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.
  2. Any of various synthetic elastic materials whose properties resemble natural rubber.
  3. A contest consisting of a series of successive matches between the same sides.
    he won three out of five games to take the rubber

verb

  1. Coat or impregnate with rubber.
    rubberize fabric for rain coats

adjective

  1. Returned for lack of funds.
    a rubber check

Origin

From rub + -er. The sense of the substance comes from its ability to function as an eraser, displacing earlier caoutchouc. The senses not pertaining to rubbing or erasing are secondarily derived from the name of the substance.

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)