- to remove or be removed by rubbing
- (intr; often followed by on or onto) to have an effect through close association or contact, esp so as to make similar: her crude manners have rubbed off on you
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026
rub•off
(rub′ôf′, -of′),USA pronunciation n.
- an act of rubbing off, as to remove something.
- a deep mark, effect, or impact produced esp. through constant close contact.
- noun, nominal use of verb, verbal phrase rub off 1935–40
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
rub off vb