1.
[syn: rubber, natural rubber, India rubber, gum elastic, caoutchouc]
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
India \In"di*a\, n. [See Indian.]
A country in Southern Asia; the two peninsulas of Hither and
Farther India; in a restricted sense, Hither India, or
Hindostan.
[1913 Webster]
India ink, a nearly black pigment brought chiefly from
China, used for water colors. It is in rolls, or in
square, and consists of lampblack or ivory black and
animal glue. Called also China ink. The true India ink
is sepia. See Sepia.
India matting, floor matting made in China, India, etc.,
from grass and reeds; -- also called Canton matting or
China matting.
India paper, a variety of Chinese paper, of smooth but not
glossy surface, used for printing from engravings,
woodcuts, etc.
India proof (Engraving), a proof impression from an
engraved plate, taken on India paper.
India rubber. See Caoutchouc.
India-rubber tree (Bot.), any tree yielding caoutchouc, but
especially the East Indian Ficus elastica, often
cultivated for its large, shining, elliptical leaves.
[1913 Webster]
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
India rubber \In"di*a rub"ber\
See Caoutchouc.
[1913 Webster]
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
Rubber \Rub"ber\, n.
1. One who, or that which, rubs. Specifically:
(a) An instrument or thing used in rubbing, polishing, or
cleaning.
(b) A coarse file, or the rough part of a file.
(c) A whetstone; a rubstone.
(d) An eraser, usually made of caoutchouc or a synthetic
rubber[4].
(e) The cushion of an electrical machine.
(f) One who performs massage, especially in a Turkish
bath.
(g) Something that chafes or annoys; hence, something that
grates on the feelings; a sarcasm; a rub. --Thackeray.
[1913 Webster]
2. In some games, as bridge or whist, the odd game, as the
third or the fifth, which decides the winner when there is
a tie between the players; as, to play the rubber; also, a
contest determined by the winning of two out of three
games; as, to play a rubber of whist. --Beaconsfield. "A
rubber of cribbage." --Dickens.
[1913 Webster]
3. India rubber; caoutchouc; gum elastic; -- also called
natural rubber.
[1913 Webster +PJC]
4. Any substance, whether natural or synthetic, resembling
India rubber with respect to its elasticity[1].
[PJC]
5. A low-cut overshoe made of natural or synthetic rubber[4],
serving to keep the feet and shoes dry when walking in the
rain or on a wet surface; -- usually used in the plural.
[1913 Webster]
6. A condom. [Slang]
[PJC]
Antimony rubber, an elastic durable variety of vulcanized
caoutchouc of a red color. It contains antimony sulphide
as an important constituent.
Hard rubber, a kind of vulcanized caoutchouc which nearly
resembles horn in texture, rigidity, etc.
India rubber, caoutchouc. See Caoutchouc.
Rubber cloth, cloth covered with caoutchouc for excluding
water or moisture.
Rubber dam (Dentistry), a shield of thin sheet rubber
clasped around a tooth to exclude saliva from the tooth.
[1913 Webster]
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
Caoutchouc \Caout"chouc\, n. [F. caoutchouc, from the South
American name.]
A tenacious, elastic, gummy substance obtained from the milky
sap of several plants of tropical South America (esp. the
euphorbiaceous tree Siphonia elastica or Hevea
caoutchouc), Asia, and Africa. Being impermeable to liquids
and gases, and not readly affected by exposure to air, acids,
and alkalies, it is used, especially when vulcanized, for
many purposes in the arts and in manufactures. Also called
India rubber (because it was first brought from India, and
was formerly used chiefly for erasing pencil marks) and gum
elastic. See Vulcanization.
[1913 Webster]
Mineral caoutchouc. See under Mineral.
[1913 Webster]
WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):
India rubber
n 1: an elastic material obtained from the latex sap of trees
(especially trees of the genera Hevea and Ficus) that can
be vulcanized and finished into a variety of products [syn:
rubber, natural rubber, India rubber, gum elastic,
caoutchouc]