Basic+ Word of the Day: rubber

rubber (noun, adjective)

Rubber bands

Rubber is an elastic solid that is made from the milky juice of rubber trees.

• Car tires are made of rubber.
• There is a rubber bath mat in the shower to prevent falls.

Rubber is also specific items made of rubber.

• Tom's grandfather wears rubbers over his shoes in rainy weather.
• The student used a rubber to erase a misspelled word.

As an adjective, rubber means ‘made of, or containing rubber.’

• Rachel ties her hair with a rubber band.
• Mike wears rubber flip-flops at the beach.

Did you know?

Rubber is a slang term for a condom, a birth control device placed over a penis.

A rubber match is a deciding contest when a series of games or matches is tied.

Related words

rubberneck: to look with curiosity, often twisting the neck. Example: “The drivers rubbernecked when they passed the accident on the highway.”

In pop culture

Listen to “Norwegian Wood,” a classic song from the Beatles’ album Rubber Soul.

There are other meanings of rubber.