rubber(1) (iou) and Gloucester (iou)

rubber(1) (iou)

rubber noun1 & adjective. M16.
[from RUB verb + -ER1.]
A. noun.
I.
a. A hard brush, cloth, etc. used for rubbing things clean. Now rare. M16.
b. An implement of metal or stone used for rubbing, esp. in order to smooth or flatten a surface. M17.
c. A pad or roll of soft material used for rubbing and polishing; an article for erasing chalk from a blackboard, usu. consisting of a soft pad attached to a wooden handle. L19.
A whetstone. Now dial. M16.
A dentifrice. rare. M-L16.
a. A strigil. L16-E17.
b. A bath towel. L16.
A large coarse file. L17.
A machine or machine part which acts by rubbing. Formerly also, a friction brake. L18.
A brick which is rubbed smooth. E19.
II.
A person who rubs something; spec. (a) a worker engaged in rubbing in order to smooth or polish something; (b) a person who takes brass-rubbings. L16.
b. A person who applies massage, esp. (N. Amer.) one who massages sportsmen or athletes; an attendant who rubs the bathers at a Turkish bath. E17.
fig. A rebuke, an irritating remark; a source of annoyance. Now rare. E18.
III.
An organic substance made from the coagulated latex of various plants, esp. Hevea brasiliensis, which in its natural state is thermoplastic and tacky and after vulcanization tough and elastic; any of various artificial polymeric substances similar to this. Formerly spec., caoutchouc as used for rubbing out pencil marks. L18.
butyl rubber, crepe rubber, indiarubber, Para rubber, sponge rubber, etc.
In pl. Overshoes or galoshes made of rubber; plimsolls, esp. ones worn for climbing. M19.
A rubber tyre; the tyres of a vehicle collectively; a car. US. L19.
Baseball. The pitcher's plate. Also, the Home plate. US. L19.
A piece of rubber for erasing pencil or ink marks; an eraser. E20.
A condom. slang. M20.
b. attrib. or as adjective. Made of rubber. M19.
Comb. & special collocations: rubber band: see BAND noun2 2; rubber boa a short brown snake, Charina bottae, of the family Boidae, found in western N. America; rubber cement a cement or adhesive containing rubber in a solvent; rubber cheque slang a cheque that bounces; rubber-chicken circuit (chiefly N. Amer. slang) an after-dinner-speaking circuit; rubber dam: see DAM noun1 4b; rubber fetishism sexual fetishism which is centred on objects made of rubber; rubber goods articles made of rubber; spec. contraceptive devices; rubber heel (a) a shoe heel made of rubber; (b) slang a person who investigates the conduct of members of his own organization; spec. an internal police investigator; rubber-heel verb intrans. & trans. (slang) investigate (a colleague), keep (an associate) under surveillance, spy on; rubber-heeler slang = rubber heel (b) above; rubber ice N. Amer. thin flexible ice; rubber johnny: see JOHNNY 4; rubber plant a tree of SE Asia, Ficus elastica, of the mulberry family, formerly used as a source of rubber, and now popular as a house-plant for its large glossy dark green leaves; rubber-proofed adjective coated or treated with rubber for water-proofing; rubber snake = rubber boa above; rubber solution a solution of rubber, spec. one used as an adhesive in mending rubber articles; rubber stamp (a) a hand-held device which can be brought down firmly on to a surface to apply an inked impression; an impression so made; (b) a person or institution that gives uncritical endorsement or agreement; rubber-stamp verb trans. (a) mark using a rubber stamp; make (an impression) with a rubber stamp; (b) endorse or approve uncritically; pass routinely or automatically; rubber-tapper a person who taps a tree, esp. Hevea brasiliensis, for rubber; rubber-tapping the collection of rubber by tapping trees; rubberware rubber goods; rubberwear rubber clothing.
rubberiness noun the state or condition of being rubbery M20.
rubberize verb trans. treat, coat, or impregnate with rubber E20.
rubberless adjective lacking rubber or rubber tyres L19.
rubbery adjective resembling or suggestive of rubber E20.

Gloucester (iou)

Gloucester noun. L18.
[A city in SW England.]
A kind of cheese orig. made in Gloucestershire. Also Gloucester cheese.
double Gloucester (cheese): see DOUBLE adjective & adverb. single Gloucester (cheese): see SINGLE adjective & adverb.

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