to rub
Preserved but no longer current.
To run away. Don't rub us to the whit; don't send us to Newgate. CANT.--To rub up; to refresh: to rub up one's memory. A rub: an impediment. A rubber; the best two out of three. To win a rubber: to win two games out of three.
Era: ca. 1811 (Georgian)
Sources & notes
Historical definition reproduced from Grose’s Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue (1811 edition, public domain; Project Gutenberg #5402, retrieved 2026-07-31). Reflects the attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “to rub” mean?
To run away. Don't rub us to the whit; don't send us to Newgate. CANT.--To rub up; to refresh: to rub up one's memory. A rub: an impediment. A rubber; the best two out of three. To win a rubber: to win two games out of three.
Is “to rub” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.