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Rub vs Scuff - What's the difference?

rub | scuff |

As nouns the difference between rub and scuff

is that rub is an act of rubbing while scuff is the back part of the neck; the scruff.

As verbs the difference between rub and scuff

is that rub is to move (one object) while maintaining contact with another object over some area, with pressure and friction while scuff is to mishit (a shot on a ball) due to poor contact with the ball.

As an adjective scuff is

caused by scraping, usually with one's feet.

rub

English

Noun

(en noun)
  • An act of rubbing.
  • Give that lamp a good rub and see if any genies come out
  • A difficulty or problem.
  • Therein lies the rub .
  • * III.i.71-75
  • To die, to sleep—/To sleep—perchance to dream. Ay, there's the rub !/For in that sleep of death what dreams may come,/When we have shuffled off this mortal coil,/Must give us pause
  • * , Episode 16
  • ...the propriety of the cabman's shelter, as it was called, hardly a stonesthrow away near Butt bridge where they might hit upon some drinkables in the shape of a milk and soda or a mineral. But how to get there was the rub .
  • In the game of crown green bowls: any obstacle by which a bowl is diverted from its normal course.
  • A mixture of spices applied to meat before it is barbecued.
  • Verb

  • To move (one object) while maintaining contact with another object over some area, with pressure and friction.
  • * , chapter=7
  • , title= The Mirror and the Lamp , passage=“[…] This is Mr. Churchill, who, as you are aware, is good enough to come to us for his diaconate, and, as we hope, for much longer; and being a gentleman of independent means, he declines to take any payment.” Saying this Walden rubbed his hands together and smiled contentedly.}}
  • To rub something against (a second thing).
  • * Sir T. Elyot
  • It shall be expedient, after that body is cleaned, to rub the body with a coarse linen cloth.
  • To be rubbed against something.
  • To spread a substance thinly over; to smear.
  • meat rubbed with spices before barbecuing
  • * Milton
  • The smoothed plank, / New rubbed with balm.
  • (dated) To move or pass with difficulty.
  • To scour; to burnish; to polish; to brighten; to cleanse; often with up'' or ''over .
  • to rub up silver
  • * South
  • The whole business of our redemption is to rub over the defaced copy of the creation.
  • To hinder; to cross; to thwart.
  • * Shakespeare
  • 'Tis the duke's pleasure, / Whose disposition, all the world well knows, / Will not be rubbed nor stopped.

    Derived terms

    * rubber * rubbing * rub elbows * rub in * rub it in * rub out * rub off * rub shoulders * rub up * rub up on

    Anagrams

    * ----

    scuff

    English

    Adjective

    (-)
  • Caused by scraping, usually with one's feet.
  • Someone left scuff marks in the sand.

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To mishit (a shot on a ball) due to poor contact with the ball.
  • * {{quote-news
  • , year=2011 , date=September 2 , author= , title=Wales 2-1 Montenegro , work=BBC citation , page= , passage=The Montenegro captain was finding space at will and followed up with a speculative shot that he scuffed wide, after Wales were slow in closing down the Juventus striker.}}
  • To scrape the feet while walking.
  • To hit lightly, to brush against.
  • * {{quote-news
  • , year=2011 , date=December 29 , author=Keith Jackson , title=SPL: Celtic 1 Rangers 0 , work=Daily Record citation , page= , passage=Wallace threw himself at it to connect with a flying header. He looked a certain scorer but his effort scuffed the inside of Fraser Forster’s post.}}

    Derived terms

    * scuff mark

    See also

    * scoff * scruff

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • The back part of the neck; the scruff.
  • Anagrams

    *