English Reference
noun

rubbing

n.
US /ˈɹəbɪŋ/ UK /ɹˈʌbɪŋ/ rub·bing UK spelling rubbings

  1. 01 B2 Upper Intermediate

    a picture made by placing paper over a textured surface and pressing a pencil or crayon over it.

    an impression of a raised or recessed surface made by placing paper over it and applying a colouring agent to reveal the texture.

    Simple

    The children made a rubbing of the old coin to see the date more clearly.

    In context

    The historian carefully created a charcoal rubbing of the medieval gravestone to preserve the fading inscription for future study.


Etymology 1

From Middle English rubbinge, rubbynge, equivalent to rub + -ing.

Etymology 2

From rub + -ing.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This entry
Origin Middle English rubbinge
Level B2 · Upper Intermediate
Frequency Frequent
Updated