noun

rubber

RUH-buh

noun

A stretchy, water-resistant material made from the sap of certain trees or synthetically.

"The tires are made of a tough, durable rubber."

(chiefly British) An eraser.

"Can I borrow your rubber to fix this mistake?"

(informal) A condom.

"He kept a rubber in his wallet, just in case."

In bridge and similar games, a set or series of games played to decide an overall winner.

"They won the rubber two games to one."

How to Use Rubber

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishThe stretchy material used in tires and gloves; in Britain, also the everyday word for an eraser; informally, a condom.

UK vs US

In British English "rubber" usually means an eraser; in American English it almost always means a condom, so British speakers should be careful using the word in the US.

Common pairings

rubber band rubber gloves rubber tire

Word Forms

rubbered past tense, rubbers plural, rubbers plural, rubbers singular

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The tires are made of a tough, durable _____.

Etymology

From "rub" plus "-er" — originally named because the material was used to rub out pencil marks, before its other uses became more common.

Rhymes for rubber

bubber blubber scrubber

See all rhymes for rubber →