rubber

Definition

Pliable material derived from the sap of the rubber tree; a hydrocarbon biopolymer of isoprene.

Etymology

From rub + -er. The sense of the substance comes from its ability to function as an eraser, displacing earlier caoutchouc. The senses not pertaining to rubbing or erasing are secondarily derived from the name of the substance.

Example Sentences

• "For example, they may use paddle pop sticks, hand span, pencils, rubbers, mathematics equipment (i.e. base 10 material) or anything else the teacher can find to measure the lengths of nominated objects."
• "Drawing materials, he thought, I used to love drawing as a lad. I can afford some plain paper and pencils, surely? And a rubber, too. He smiled at the memory of an elderly uncle, also fond of drawing, who′d always called rubbers ‘lead eaters’."
• "Stan stole a diary and some pens, pencils, ink and rubbers during his early days as a POW working on the Singapore docks."