rubout
noun/ˈɹʌbaʊt/
Etymology Deverbal from rub out.
1
An instance of erasing with a rubber.
2
Broadly, Slang An assassination.
- 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.2007 June 8, Holland Cotter, “Quirks and Attitude to Burn”, in New York Times:
3
Computing, Engineering, Mathematics, Natural sciences, Physical sciences, Sciences Broadly, Dated Synonym of backspace.
- A direct manipulation editor would support, for example, a single rubout key that uses the cursor to find the appropriate character for deletion […]1990, Michael D. Harrison, Harold Thimbleby, Formal methods in human-computer interaction, page 130:
- The TS-1000 had ENTER instead of NEW LINE and DELETE instead of RUBOUT.2002, Brotha G, “ZX81 Prototype Keyboard”, in comp.sys.sinclair (Usenet):