What's the difference between
and
Enter two words to compare and contrast their definitions, origins, and synonyms to better understand how those words are related.

Backspace vs Rubout - What's the difference?

backspace | rubout |

As nouns the difference between backspace and rubout

is that backspace is the key on a typewriter that moves the head one position backwards while rubout is an assassination.

As a verb backspace

is to remove a character behind a cursor.

backspace

English

Noun

(wikipedia backspace) (en noun)
  • The key on a typewriter that moves the head one position backwards.
  • (computing) A keyboard key used for removing a character behind the cursor, and moving the cursor one position backwards.

    • Verb

    (backspac)
  • (computing) To remove a character behind a cursor.
  • (computing) To move a magnetic tape to a previous block.

    • rubout

    English

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • (slang) An assassination.
  • *{{quote-news, year=2007, date=June 8, author=Holland Cotter, title=Quirks and Attitude to Burn, work=New York Times citation
    • , passage=This high-concept take on low life includes a concealed lethal weapon (by Claire Fontaine); photographic evidence of a rubout (by Torbjorn Rodland); and cryptic, possibly sinister messages galore from Tauba Auerbach, Daniel Knorr, David Lieske and Matias Faldbakken. }}
  • (computing, uncountable, dated) backspace
  • * 1990 , Michael D. Harrison, Harold Thimbleby, Formal methods in human-computer interaction (page 130)
    • A direct manipulation editor would support, for example, a single rubout key that uses the cursor to find the appropriate character for deletion...