rub·ber
 rubber
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- pronunciation:
- ruh
b
r
- features:
- Word Combinations (noun), Word History, Word Explorer
| part of speech: |
noun |
| definition: |
a substance made from the dried liquid from certain tropical plants. Rubber can be stretched and is used to make many things including tires and balls.
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| derivation: |
rubberlike (adj.) |
The elastic substance obtained from tropical plants acquired the name
rubber in the 1700s because it was used to make erasers, which the British call "rubbers." Before that, "rubber" meant simply "a thing that rubs."