rub
noun/rʌb/
/rʌb/
- [countable, usually singular] an act of rubbing a surface
- She gave her knee a quick rub.
- the rub[singular] (formal or humorous) a problem or difficulty
- The hotel is in the middle of nowhere and there lies the rub. We don't have a car.
Word OriginMiddle English (as a verb): perhaps from Low German rubben, of unknown ultimate origin. The noun dates from the late 16th cent.
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rub