from
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
Rub \Rub\, v. i.
1. To move along the surface of a body with pressure; to
grate; as, a wheel rubs against the gatepost.
[1913 Webster]
2. To fret; to chafe; as, to rub upon a sore.
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3. To move or pass with difficulty; as, to rub through woods,
as huntsmen; to rub through the world.
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{To rub along} or {on}, to go on with difficulty; as, they
manage, with strict economy, to rub along. [Colloq.]
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