World Languages Lexicon
10 Language-to-English Dictionariesreiben
Pronunciation / Transliteration: /ˈʁaɪ.bn̩/
"Er rieb sich die kalten Hände."
Comprehensive Definitions & Senses
2 senses- 1
To move one's hand or a cloth repeatedly back and forth over the surface of something with pressure.
"He rubbed his tired eyes with the back of his hand."
- 1
An act of rubbing something, or a blend of ground spices used for flavoring meat before cooking.
"Apply the spice rub generously all over the chicken."
Linguistic Origin & Historical Etymology
The verb dates back to the late 14th century, likely of Low German or Dutch origin (such as Middle Low German or Middle Dutch rubben 'to rub, scrape'), replacing the older Old English terms. The semantic evolution expanded from a purely physical friction action to abstract idioms like 'there's the rub' popularized by Shakespeare.
Which of the following is the closest synonym for "Rub"?
10 Global Lexicons: How "Rub" is said worldwide
Click any language below to open its dedicated Language to English dictionary page with native script & transliteration
frotter
Transliteration: /fʁɔ.te/
"Il faut frotter la tache pour l'enlever."
reiben
Transliteration: /ˈʁaɪ.bn̩/
"Er rieb sich die kalten Hände."
strofinare
Transliteration: /stro.fiˈna.re/
"Si strofinò gli occhi per svegliarsi."
fregar
Transliteration: /fɾeˈɣaɾ/
"Tienes que fregar la superficie con cuidado."
esfregar
Transliteration: /is.fɾeˈɡaɾ/
"Ele começou a esfregar as mãos de frio."
रगड़ना
Transliteration: ragaṛanā
"उसने अपनी आँखें रगड़ीं।"
摩擦
Transliteration: mócā
"他用双手互相摩擦来取暖。"
문지르다
Transliteration: munjireuda
"그는 눈을 손으로 문질렀다."
擦る
Transliteration: kosuru
"彼は眠そうに目を擦った。"
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