rubber

A2 · Elementary Countable noun British English

n. a small piece of rubber or plastic used to remove pencil marks from paper.

n. an implement, typically made of rubber or vinyl, used for removing markings made by a pencil.

“I made a mistake in my drawing, so I used a rubber to fix it.”

“The student reached into her pencil case for a rubber to clean up the stray graphite marks on her technical diagram.”

B2 · Upper Intermediate Countable noun Medicine American English · Slang · Informal

n. a thin rubber covering worn during sex to prevent pregnancy or disease.

n. a sheath, typically made of latex, used as a contraceptive and a barrier against sexually transmitted infections.

Español:goma

“The health clinic provides free rubbers and advice on safe sex.”

“Public health campaigns in the 1990s frequently used informal terms like 'rubbers' to make discussions about safe sex more accessible to teenagers.”

C1 · Advanced Countable noun Sports British English · Formal

n. a series of games, especially in bridge or cricket, where the winner is the one who wins the most matches.

n. a contest consisting of a series of matches, typically the best of three or five, between two sides.

“The two teams are tied, so the final rubber will decide the tournament winner.”

“After winning the first two matches convincingly, the visiting team secured the rubber with one game still left to play.”

C1 · Advanced Uncountable noun Sports Slang

n. the tyres on a vehicle, especially in racing.

n. the tyres of a motor vehicle, particularly in the context of automotive racing and tyre performance.

“The driver went into the pits to get some fresh rubber for the final laps.”

“The pit crew worked frantically to change the rubber, as the driver complained of losing grip on the overheating asphalt.”

C2 · Proficiency Slang

adj. used to describe a bank check that cannot be paid because there is no money in the account.

adj. referring to a cheque that is returned by a bank due to insufficient funds.

“He tried to pay with a rubber check, but the shop owner refused it.”

“The landlord became suspicious after receiving a rubber cheque for the third month in a row.”