Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

rubout

/ˈɹʌbaʊt/

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 0.00 in modern English

Syllables: rubout
IPA: /ˈɹʌbaʊt/

8

Scrabble Score

6

Letters

2

Syllables

5

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

An instance of erasing with a rubber.

Countable; Uncountable

noun

An assassination.

Countable; Slang

noun

Synonym of backspace.

Dated; Uncountable

Example Sentences

"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."
"A direct manipulation editor would support, for example, a single rubout key that uses the cursor to find the appropriate character for deletion […]"
"The TS-1000 had ENTER instead of NEW LINE and DELETE instead of RUBOUT."

Etymology

Deverbal from rub out.

Usage

Inflected Forms

rubouts (plural) rub-out (alternative)

Synonyms

backspace

Questions

How do you pronounce rubout?: The recorded pronunciation is /ˈɹʌbaʊt/.
What does rubout mean?: An instance of erasing with a rubber.
Where does rubout come from?: Deverbal from rub out.

How to pronounce rubout

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “rubout”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/ˈɹʌbaʊt/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “rubout”.
Repeat and practice — Say “rubout” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.