rub off
verb1
Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see rub, off.
2
To clean by rubbing.
- He was wet through with the dew and quite earthy from diving into the burrows the Boy had made for him in the flower bed, and Nana grumbled as she rubbed him off with a corner of her apron.1921 June, Margery Williams, “The Velveteen Rabbit: Or How Toys Become Real”, in Harper’s Bazar, volume LVI, number 6 (2504 overall), New York, N.Y.: International Magazine Company, →ISSN, →OCLC:
3
Idiomatic To be transferred with little or no effort.
- I hoped that, if I hung out with the popular kids, some of their charisma might rub off on me.
- Over time, I noticed various exercises I did with Woebot rubbing off in my daily life. Woebot taught me how to set SMART goals — specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and time-limited.2022 September 27, Barclay Bram, “My Therapist, the Robot”, in The New York Times:
- Derived terms
- rub-off, ruboff, rub one off, rub oneself off