rubrub /rʌb/ verb (past tense and past participle rubbed, present participle rubbing) 1 
to rub your hand over someone or something► rub
to rub your hand over someone or something► rub to move your hand, or something you are holding, backward and forward over a surface. You can rub a part of someone’s body to make it feel better, or you can rub an object, for example to make it clean: The boy rubbed his bruised arm. He rubbed the oil into his baseball mitt to soften it.
► stroke to move your hand gently over something, especially to make someone feel calm: Michelle stroked her daughter’s hair and sang to her.
► pet to move your hand over an animal’s fur to show that you like it: Can I pet your dog?
► caress to gently touch someone in a way that shows love. Caress is used especially in literature and stories: She bent over and caressed the baby’s cheek.
► massage to press and rub someone's body with your hands to help him or her feel relaxed or to reduce the pain in his or her muscles: Can you massage my neck for me?
► scratch to rub the skin on part of your body with your fingernails, because it feels uncomfortable: If you have an insect bite, you shouldn't scratch it.
2 to rub something against another thing, especially in a way that damages it► rub to move something backward and forward against another thing many times: We tried to make a fire by rubbing two pieces of wood together. Her new shoes rubbed her heels and she got a blister.
► scrape to accidentally rub something against a rough surface in a way that damages it: I scraped my knee when I fell down. He accidentally scraped the side of the car against the wall when he was backing into the garage.
► scratch to accidentally rub something against a sharp surface, in a way that causes lines or cuts: I scratched my arm when I was going through the bushes.